Only For a Little While
by AkiraDawn
Summary: Who knew nine days away from would have this much impact on everyone. Cloud was away on business but the safety was knowing he would return. Sure Tifa could do this on her own but she never expected herself to be so fragile. Rated M for a reason!
1. Time to Go

Only for a Little While

The next of my 'Strife Family' compilation (if I'm allowed to call it that lol). I hope you like it!

I do not own Final Fantasy or anything related to it, it belongs to Square Enix

"No! Why do you have to go!" Marlene demanded with tears rolling down her already reddened cheeks. She had her arms locked around Cloud's neck.

"It's for work, honey. I won't be gone that long. It's only a little over a week. Nine days." Cloud said as soothing to her as he could.

"No! Don't go. I'm scared." Marlene sobbed in her meek and vulnerable voice. Cloud held her on his lap. He wasn't sure but he thought the last time he had her on his lap like this in such a vulnerable state was when she was quite small.

"What are you scared of?" Cloud asked her softly.

"I'm scared you won't come back! What if you don't come back? Then me and Denzel and Tifa will be all alone forever!" Marlene cried harder. Cloud closed his eyes feeling a lump in his throat. Marlene couldn't help it. She already had a history of men coming in and out of her life and she was a little more sensitive than usual right now. Cloud leaving Midgar for nine days on business was getting to her and right now, she just couldn't help but wear her heart on her sleeve.

"Marlene. What makes you think I won't come back to you and Denzel and Tifa?" he asked her trying to help her through this the best he could.

"Because…you're my dad and my dad's always leave me." Marlene admitted through teary, glassy eyes. She was right about one thing: Dyne had left her, Barret had left her and even Cloud had left her…once. Cloud was baffled by her overly tender state but he was pouring every ounce of energy he had into not questioning _why_ she was reacting the way she was over a business trip. Cloud took Marlene's sheet of her bed in his hand and wiped her tears. Marlene moved her hands and was holding on to her lower abdomen like she was in pain.

"Listen to me, okay? Honey, I swear on my life I will never, ever leave you." Cloud promised her as he wiped her tears again.

"But what if you change your mind?" Marlene wailed at him as she squeezed her hands tighter around her.

"Not gonna change my mind, honey. Come here. It's gonna be alright. Sssshhh…everything's gonna be okay." Cloud promised her putting his arms around her.

In the bedroom, Tifa was packing Cloud's suitcase because she was already well aware of the situation in Marlene's room. "Tifa? Is Marlene gonna be okay?" Denzel asked sitting down on the bed. She could sense Denzel's genuine concern for Marlene.

"She's going to be fine, sweetie. Don't worry. She's just going through a tough time right now.

"But why is she so sad? She's not normally like that." Denzel said still worried.

"I know she's not but…sometimes…we…cry and get upset and…it passes. She'll be fine in a couple days." Tifa promised Denzel.

"If you say so. Are we going to get to see Cloud's plane leave today?" Denzel asked.

"I'd say we will." Tifa said. Just then the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Denzel said hopping off the bed. Tifa opened a drawer and threw some things on the bed behind her. Cloud returned to their room, leaving Marlene by herself for a little bit. He sighed.

"I can't stand to see her like this. Tifa she's so upset. It's like she's…she's so sad, Tifa. She's convinced I'm not gonna come back or something. It's just a trip! I mean what the…why!" Cloud searched Tifa for answers.

"She can't help it. She doesn't mean it. Deep down she knows this is just a business trip." Tifa said turning around to put the final things into Cloud's suitcase.

"Then why is she breaking down over this and Denzel is fine?" Cloud demanded.

"Because Cloud! Her body is changing! This is her second period and she's just really sensitive because her hormones are raging like a freight train. Give her two days, she'll be back to herself again." Tifa said spelling it all out in black and white for him.

"Oh my god! _That's_ what that is!" Cloud asked rather frustrated with himself. He shook his head. "Is she really that…out of balance?" he questioned. Tifa stopped dead in her tracks.

"Yes, yes she is, Cloud. That stuff isn't fake. She's puffed up like a beach ball and because of that, physically, she feels uncomfortable. I put a heating pad on her last night to help ease the cramps, she's headachy and that's just all the physical stuff. That's not even beginning to touch on all the chemicals that are out of whack with her." Tifa said resuming the packing.

"So, then why don't you go through what's she's going through?" Cloud asked.

"I've been on birth control for nearly a year now. Birth control fixes all that. Which one of these do you want?" Tifa said holding up two different collared shirts.

"The gray one. So why not put her on it?" Oooooh wrong question, Cloud. Tifa put his shirt in his suitcase and stared at him more shocked than she ever had before.

"What the hell are you saying, Cloud! She's eleven! Pumpin' her full of estradril isn't the answer! A couple pain relievers and a heating pad will work for now. If it persists for the whole year, then yes…yes…it's something to consider. But god, it's her second time. It may get better." Tifa shook her head wondering how the hell he could be that dense. Tifa didn't want to be irritated with him though, after all he was leaving and she sure as hell wasn't going to let Cloud get on a plane with her being pissed at him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry it's just that…you…you don't understand and that's okay. I think I'm just…a little sensitive about what she's going through. This is the first obvious proof that…she's growing up." Tifa said sitting on the bed beside Cloud. He put an arm around her.

"It's okay. I understand what you mean. I really do because…let's face it…Denzel isn't going to be far behind her and my god how I dread _that_. Believe me, if Zack were here…I swear I would make him explain everything to Denzel that I…will have to rehearse with you at least three dozen times and then I'll still mess it up when I do it for real." Cloud confessed.

"Thank god you never had to explain where babies came from. You would not be good at that." Tifa said putting her head on his shoulder.

"You're right...I would have given that one to Zack too." Cloud said.

"Come on, let's get finished here. We need to get to the airport. You want to eat on the plane or do you want to stop and get something on the way or do you want to eat something here?" Tifa questioned as she threw a few more things in his suitcase.

"I'll just get something on the plane." Cloud said.

So this was it. Cloud was leaving on business related to the delivery service. The goal of the trip was to get another delivery service near Kalm to start running air deliveries to Midgar using Cloud's business as the primary carrier of those packages once they were pulled of the cargo planes in Midgar. If this was success, it would mean the first expansion of Strife Delivery Service and an eventual buyout of the service in Kalm. This could potentially be a pivotal point in the delivery business. They had all four talked about the trip three weeks prior and so Marlene knew in her heart it was happening and that it truly wasn't a big deal but right now, biology was getting the best of her.

"I'm sorry I haven't been much help packing. Thanks for picking everything out and all." Cloud told Tifa as she zipped his suitcase.

"It's alright, you've had Marlene to deal with. She's needed you this morning. I just hope I didn't pack too many short sleeves." Tifa said doubting her own packing skills. It had been a pleasant April thus far in Midgar. The springtime air coming through the apartment felt so wonderful, even though it wreaked of exhaust and other city fumes sometimes. Tifa only hoped that Kalm would be this pleasant this time of year.

"You have plenty of cash, right?" Cloud questioned her.

"I do. The real question here is, do you?" Tifa asked moving his suitcase to the floor and sitting beside him once more. Cloud examined his wallet.

"Yeah…350…that should be plenty. I'll find an ATM if I need more. I can't imagine spending 350 gil in cash in nine days though." Cloud said. "So, have you heard from Barret cause he hasn't called my cell and we know he hasn't called here. Is he actually gonna go through with this?" Tifa sighed.

"I haven't heard either. I hope to god he doesn't back out. Marlene is sensitive enough already and if he backs out of seeing her…I might kill him just a little. I will not stand for him making another empty promise to her. Frankly, I'm nervous about the whole thing. You know how much I love Barret and you know that we would never, ever keep him from seeing Marlene. And this was her choice but I'm just…so nervous and I don't know why. God Cloud, what if he breaks her little heart?" Tifa asked him.

"Hey, he may be a hell of a lot bigger than me but I swear Tifa, if he breaks her heart I'll break his. I don't care that I've known him for so long; I just won't stand for it. You call me immediately if him coming to see her doesn't happen. I'm serious. If he doesn't stop in, you call me." Cloud said. Tifa shook her head.

"I will." Tifa said. There was silence between them for a moment.

"What if he wants her back? You know…like…for good?" Cloud asked genuinely concerned.

"That can't happen. He signed over full custody of her to us when we got guardianship of both her and Denzel. Furthermore, we _adopted_ her. Even if he wanted her back…he can't have her back." Tifa laughed at herself, but it was a disgusted laugh. "Listen to me…talking about our little girl like she's a…piece of furniture that you can't return after you've had it sixty days. My point is…yes Barret was once her father but Cloud you and I are her parents…she loves us, she knows that we love her, and she's just…Barret wants to see her and it's so wonderful that she's letting him into her life." Tifa said. Cloud shook his head.

"I know. She's my daughter…not his. He had his chance. The only difference is that he blew it and I almost did." Cloud said looking at Tifa. She didn't say anything; she just took him in her arms. Maybe leaving for nine days was harder on Cloud than he had initially thought it would be. "So, uh…what are you all gonna do while I'm gone." Cloud asked letting go of Tifa and getting up to take the suitcase into the front room.

"Well, Yuffie is going to meet us for dinner somewhere tonight. I'm going to help Denzel with his science fair project this week. Marlene and I have that mixed martial arts class we're taking. Of course there's the thing with Barret if it happens. I'm sure we'll stay busy doing some other things too. I'll take Denzel out on his bike and see how he does." Tifa said referring to the motorcycle that she and Cloud had surprisingly got for Denzel for his birthday back in March. In Midgar, it was okay for a minor to be on a motorcycle as long as a license holder was on the same bike. Denzel had never been so surprised in his whole life. He cried tears of happiness over that bike for a good fifteen minutes or more. Cloud enjoyed fixing it up for him at one of the garages in town. It had been terribly difficult to keep it a secret from Denzel for nearly three months.

"Don't let him lock up those brakes and make sure he leans in to those turns." Cloud cautioned Tifa. She smiled and followed him into the front room.

"I will. Oh here, this is just in case you're sitting toward the back of the plane." Tifa said handing Cloud some individually wrapped anti-histamine pills. It was the best sleep aid she could think of that he could take on the plane without the risk of it being confiscated. She didn't want him getting sick thirty minutes into the flight.

"Thanks. I'll take this stuff to the car. We need to go soon." Cloud said slinging on bag on his shoulder and pulling the suitcase behind him.

"Yeah, we do. I'll go check on Marlene and tell Denzel to get his shoes on." Tifa said as he slipped out the door and down the stairs. "Hey honey, we have to go soon, get your shoes on okay?" she told Denzel peering her head around the doorframe.

"Okay." Denzel said putting his schoolwork aside and reaching for his shoes. Tifa knocked on Marlene's closed door and a weak voice told her to come inside.

"Hey. It's time to go, sweetie." Tifa said sitting on the bed and putting her arms around Marlene.

"Okay." She answered Tifa, resting her head on Tifa's shoulder.

"You okay?" Tifa asked hugging Marlene against her. Marlene shook her head yes against Tifa.

"It hurts." Marlene said pitifully. Tifa hugged her tighter.

"I know it does, honey. I'll make it better, I promise." Tifa whispered to her rubbing Marlene's back. If Tifa promised her daughter she would make it better…she most certainly would.


	2. The Commitment

"I'll call just as soon as I can after I land." Cloud said to Tifa. He took Denzel by the shoulders. "You take care of Tifa and Marlene, okay?"

"I will! I promise. We'll miss you." Denzel said putting his arms around Cloud.

"I'll miss you too but I'll be back soon. Do a good job with your science fair project." Cloud told him. Denzel shook his head and let go of Cloud.

"I love you and I promise that I'll call you every day." Cloud said hugging Marlene and secretly hoping she wouldn't start crying again.

"Can I call you too?" she asked.

"Of course you can." He reassured her.

"Alright. I love you so much." Marlene said as she squeezed Cloud as hard as she could.

"Love you too, honey." Cloud told her again. He looked at Tifa. "You three are going to meet Yuffie later, right?" he asked.

"Yeah." Tifa answered.

"Unless we have a delay we're do to land at 4:05 today. You do have all the flight information, right?" Cloud asked just remembering that they hadn't actually discussed that.

"Yeah, I copied it all down. I'll uh…I'll let you know…about the uh…thing we talked about happening or not happening this week." Tifa said trying to be vague about Barret. Cloud shook his head and took Tifa in his arms. Their kiss may have been a little lengthy for a busy airport terminal but they didn't care. "I love you." Tifa said straightening the collar of Cloud's shirt before pulling her hands away from him.

"I love you too. I uh…I guess I should go. They're boarding." Cloud said after hearing the call for passengers to begin boarding.

"You should." Tifa kissed him again, a bit reluctant to let him go.

"Bye Cloud." Denzel said as Cloud shoved his carry-on bag onto his shoulder. Marlene bit her lower lip as she watched Cloud headed toward the area where Tifa, Denzel and Marlene weren't permitted. They wouldn't get to see his plane leave the runway as Denzel had wanted because of the way the airport was laid out.

"You two ready to call aunt Yuffie and see where she wants to meet for dinner?" Tifa asked her hands around both kids.

"I'm ready. I'm really hungry." Marlene said.

"Do you think aunt Yuffie will come to the science fair next week? I know we're talking about dinner but it would be fun if she could come." Denzel said.

"You'll have to ask her when we see her. We need to take some pictures so Cloud can see your project too. We'll get started on that tomorrow." Tifa said as she took her hands off the kids and dug around in her purse for her phone. "Hey you. Yeah, he just headed for the plane. We're getting ready to catch a shuttle back to the parking lot. We're parked in a drop off lot. Do you realize that this airport has at least five different parking lots with different designations? Are you still going to meet us for dinner? Great, where do you want to go? Okay. Yuffie wants you two to pick where we are going to eat." Tifa said to Marlene and Denzel. Denzel looked at Marlene to get her attention so they could discuss it while Tifa was talking to Yuffie. One thing was certain about these kids…if there was a decision to be made…they made it. Marlene poked Tifa's arm and told her where they wanted to go. "Marlene says she and Denzel want to go to that pub that serves those homemade chips. Great. Oh, even better! Thank you. Alright meet us there in about thirty minutes. Bye." Tifa hung up the phone now that these plans had been made.

"What did aunt Yuffie say?" Marlene asked.

"She thinks you and Denzel made a good choice. She's also going to come stay with you two tomorrow while I'm at work." Tifa said knowing that they would be excited to hear that. She had said to herself and to them a hundred times before. They didn't _need_ a babysitter; they were old enough to stay by themselves while Tifa worked but she just felt better if someone were with them. As she and the kids headed for the parking lot shuttle she couldn't help but flashback in her mind to nearly a year ago. Cloud hadn't yet 'officially' moved in with her, she still handled the delivery business books, and the deliveries still came to the apartment. It was just her, Marlene and Denzel. She had been so hurt by Cloud but she had successfully hidden it away for the sake of these kids. She thought about how much unspoken sexual tension there was between her and Cloud…and how it finally got resolved.

My god how life had changed in a year: Cloud moving in to the little apartment above the bar for real, Tifa helping him finally bury his grief and heartache, gaining guardianship of two kids, facing the harsh reality that they were parental figures, and then facing the fact that they had become full-blown _parents_. Then there was a desperate search to define what a family was: Going on their first 'family' vacation in which Cloud realized they _were_ a real family no matter how anyone else wanted to label it, teaching Denzel what infidelity was and Cloud admitting to Denzel he loved Tifa. Marlene calling Cloud 'dad', a very drunken night in an ocean front condo that resulted in many questionable bruises, and finally everyone wondering how the hell they managed to get a turtle that laid eggs. After that there was Nibelheim where Tifa's father made her cry and Cloud admitted he had a son and a daughter that he loved. The reality check that Cloud and Tifa were husband and wife without _being_ husband and wife. The Nibelheim trip lead to a marriage to solve all that. Then there was a diamond ring, bully, a slutty sweater, and a bigger apartment thanks to Cid. Every memory since this time last year went running through Tifa's mind. So what Tifa would be twenty-six in the next month…there was much more than just her birthday to celebrate. She snapped out of her reminiscent daze as Denzel tugged on her arm to board the parking lot shuttle.

"Oh! I didn't even see this thing pull up." Tifa said completely surprised as she stepped on the shuttle behind Denzel and Marlene. It wouldn't be long now before they were back in the car and on their way to meet Yuffie. The shuttle made its way through the various parking lot stops before arriving in the 'Blue Temporary' lot where they were parked. As Tifa pulled the car keys out of her purse her phone rang. She glanced down at the number and handed the keys to Marlene. "Here, you two go ahead and head for the car. I'm right behind you." She said letting them get a little bit of distance on her.

"Hi. I'm so glad you called." She answered it. "You are! Really! The kids get off the bus at 3:10, I'll be here. I don't go to work until 8:00 tomorrow and it's only for four hours." Tifa felt like crying tears of joy over what she was hearing. "Of course! Of course! Do you swear to me…that you'll be there?" Tifa asked a bit desperately. She smiled. "Okay. Yep, we're in the same place. You won't believe it when you see it. We remodeled the apartment completely. I can't wait to see you and I can't wait to tell Marlene that you're coming. Yes, bye." Tifa hung up the phone. She felt a sense of relief as she opened the car door. "Marlene that was Barret on the phone. He's coming to see you tomorrow." She said.

"He is? He's really coming?" Marlene questioned.

"He is." Tifa said taking the keys from her and shoving them into the ignition. Marlene was quiet for a minute.

"What if he backs out again like he always does?" Marlene asked seriously.

"He won't Marlene! Not this time! He can't, he just can't! It'll be okay Marlene." Denzel said trying his best to encourage her. She wasn't convinced.

"I don't think he will this time, sweetie. You'll see him tomorrow after school." Tifa said as they pulled out of the lot.

"Do you think it's okay to be nervous?" she asked.

"Of course it is. You haven't seen him in a long time." Tifa said. Marlene was rather quiet the rest of the car trip back into Midgar. Tifa knew she would perk up once they had met up with Yuffie and maybe once she had another pain reliever in her. Tifa had anticipated that phone call even more so than the one she would receive from Cloud when he landed in Kalm. That affirmation that Barret would be by the apartment the next day to be with Marlene was a huge deal. He had bailed so many times before because of various jobs and missions but this time was for real. Not even she had seen Barret in some time. There was so much to talk about, so much for Barret to learn about Marlene and just…so so much he had missed.

My apologies for a short chapter and any typos! I'm not posting this from my regular computer and I'm on the road. Expect the next chapter to be longer.


	3. Barret's Promise

There was a knock at the door. Tifa already knew who it was. She opened it quickly, she had been anticipating that knock. A smile spread across her face.

"Hey Momma." He shook his head. "Shit, look at you." Barret reached strong arms out to her and hugged Tifa tightly against him, lifting her off the floor.

"Barret. Ooooh Barret, I can't believe you're actually standing here!" Tifa said clinging on to him. "Come in, come in." She said as he put her back down.

"You look good Tifa. I mean you look real good. Damn girl, what you do to this place?" Barret asked as he looked around the apartment. This certainly wasn't how he remembered it looking. Tifa laughed.

"You want something to drink? Oh, the apartment? Looks great doesn't it? Cid talked us into remodeling in February. I'm so happy with it." Tifa said. Barret was still looking around as if he had never been here before. He couldn't help but notice the picture of Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel that was hung near the phone on the wall.

"I'd love something to drink. Anything is fine. Shit, that can't be Marlene…it just can't." Barret said.

"That's her. That was taken at the beach this summer." Tifa said pouring Barret a glass of lemonade.

"But she's…all…" Barret couldn't finish his sentence. The door opened and Denzel and Marlene came hurrying inside. Marlene had her pink and purple plaid backpack stuffed full and her pink iPod in her hand. Barret was speechless. Marlene laid her iPod down on the table and took her backpack off looking at Barret the entire time. She smiled.

"Hi." She finally said. Barret didn't say anything. He was awestruck by this little girl that had…grown up. The last time he had seen Marlene she was six years old…that was five years ago.

"Marlene." He finally said.

"You remember Denzel? He just had a birthday last month." Tifa said knowing she had to do something quickly to break Barret's silence.

"Hi! I remember you! Cloud and Tifa got me my own motorcycle for my birthday. I'm not allowed to ride it myself yet though." Denzel said smiling. "Tifa, I'm going to go get all the supplies out for my science fair project." Denzel said.

"Okay, I'll be in there in a minute and we'll start putting it together." Tifa promised him. Barret still hadn't said a thing. He was so floored by everything…by all of this. This life that he had missed, this _mother_ that Tifa had seriously become, this _wife _she had become. It was hitting him like a ton of bricks right now. He looked at the glass of lemonade in front of him. Tifa went ahead and poured a glass for Marlene.

"Marlene." He finally said. His smile was awkward but there were so many things racing through his mind that he couldn't decide what response was most appropriate right now. Marlene still had Barret's last name but that was the only thing that had remained the same through the years.

"Here you two can have some of these rolls. I'm going to help Denzel. Be sure to wash your hands." Tifa said handing the breadbasket over to Marlene. She took the basket and her lemonade to the table. Barret stood up and followed her. Tifa left them alone and hoped that this long over do reunion would go well.

"How uh…how's school…Marlene?" Barret asked her.

"Its good." She answered him.

"Sixth grade…wow. Bet you got lotsa' friends." Barret laughed.

"I don't know about lots. Sixth grade is harder than last year." Marlene said.

"What you do best?" Barret asked her.

"Hmm…well…I guess maybe spelling and Language Arts aaaand…um…math." Marlene said. Barret laughed again.

"You good at all of it, aren't you?"

"Cloud says I throw a ball like a girl so I'm not very good at gym class." Marlene said laughing at herself.

"You tell him that I said _he_ throws like a girl." Barret told her. "So, Cloud…he's uh…he's your dad." Barret said a bit nervously.

"Yeah." Marlene answered.

"You remember when…when you lived with me? You remember callin' me daddy when you was little?" Barret asked her.

"Yeah, I remember. I was really little." Marlene said.

"Yeah, yeah you was." Barret said shaking his head nervously. There was a bit of a tense silence between them. Of course how could there not be. Marlene had talked to Barret only on the phone, this was their first face to face meeting in years.

"Did you get tired of having me? Is that why you gave me to Tifa?" Marlene asked. It was official: Can open…worms everywhere.

"Did I get…did…wh…no! No, Marlene. No! I never once got tired of havin' you. You were my lil' girl. You were…you were my whole world. I…I messed up. I gave you to Tifa because I knew she would be the best momma in 'da world. I've known Tifa almost all my life and I knew she'd never let nothin' bad happen to you. I…just messed up. I knew you was bein' taken care of…so I kept goin' from job to job whereva' it was. I messed up and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never called ya'. I'm sorry I never came to see ya'. I'm sorry I messed everythin' up for you. I thought I knew what I was doin'…turns out I didn't know nothin' at all." Barret confessed.

"So why did you come to see me this time? Why is this time different than the other times?" Marlene asked. It was a fair question…why _was_ this time different? Five years had passed and Barret had never seized the opportunity before. Barret shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"I guess sometimes enough is enough. I wish I could give you a better answer 'an that…but I can't. Maybe…maybe I was a little bit jealous…Cloud got you an' all. I guess…I guess I was a little bit jealous that…Spiky your daddy and it ain't me no more." Barret looked like his was fighting back tears. "And now I look at you an'…an' you all grown up. I think I…I think I just wanted to say I'm sorry, Marlene. I'm so sorry." Barret finished. Marlene didn't say anything. She just stared at her lemonade.

"You always made Tifa upset when you would send a check. She'd get so mad at you and rip it up or put through the paper shredder. Then Cloud would be upset because it made Tifa mad." Marlene said honestly.

"I knew she didn't need no check for your schoolin'. It was all I knew to do to keep ties to you alive. Your momma and Cloud done more for you than I ever coulda'. Can't be takin' a little girl all over the place an'…puttin' her in harm's way." Barret said. "Im'ma do anythin' I need to do to make it all up to you, Marlene." Barret said.

"I know something!" Marlene said with her face lit up. That put a smile on Barret's face.

"What is it? Anythin' at all!" he insisted.

"Well, me and Denzel and Tifa had dinner with Aunt Yuffie last night and we were talking about the Loveless Festival. Tifa says it celebrates the play that's been running in Midgar for almost twenty years. Everyone's going to be there. You should come too." Marlene said. That would actually be a good test for Barret to see how serious he was. The Loveless Festival was two weeks away and it would be easy for Barret to bail.

"I'll be there. You tell me where to be and what time." Barret said.

"You promise?" Marlene asked.

"I promise." He assured her. Marlene smiled.

"Okay. I should do my homework now." She said getting up from the table. It may have been a rather short visit with Marlene but it wasn't supposed to all coming up roses. He hadn't seen her in so long what did he expect?

"Yeah, yeah you…you get your schoo' work done. That's important. You uh…you need any help?" he asked her a bit awkwardly.

"Tifa usually helps me until Cloud gets home from work. But I don't have much today. I can do it myself." Marlene said. Barret shook his head.

"Yeah…okay. I'll see you soon then." Barret said.

"Bye." Marlene said picking up her lemonade, her backpack and a roll before heading for her room to do her homework. Tifa must have heard Marlene's backpack flopping to the floor in the adjacent room because she opened Denzel's door and left him to work by himself for a while. She returned to Barret. He was holding his forehead in his hand.

"You okay?" she asked walking up to him and putting her hand in the middle of his broad back. It wasn't but a few moments later that the tears began to pour.

"I missed it all, Momma. I missed everthin'." He said through his tears. He could feel Tifa's hand rubbing up and down the middle of his back. "She…she this…this young lady. She no little girl no more. What 'm I gon' do Momma…ooooh what the hell 'm I gon' do…" Barret turned toward Tifa and buried his face in his hands as he wept. Tifa pulled up a chair beside him. "bet you ain't never seen a…a 240 pound black man cry." Barret said trying his best to dry his eyes. Tifa put her arms around him and let him rest his head on her shoulder.

"I've seen much worse, Barret. I've seen much worse." She said softly. Barret wasn't sure why he was crying the way he was. It was probably a multitude of reasons and as far as Tifa was concerned he didn't have to justify any of them right now. Tifa just let him cry on her.

Tifa got in from the bar a little past midnight that night. Yuffie has talked to her at 11:45 that night and Tifa had told her to go ahead and go home since the kids had been in bed for over an hour. Tifa was careful to not wake Marlene or Denzel as she came in the door and locked it behind her. She turned the lights out in the living room and slipped quietly into her room, closing the door silently. The sounds of traffic filled the room. She had been sweating downstairs from the heat of the kitchen coupled with the crowded atmosphere of the bar tonight. Tifa decided to take a quick shower before calling Cloud. It was strange seeing their queen bed so empty. Normally he was already shirtless and under the covers either sound asleep or ready to tear in to her…Tifa always liked the latter of the two. It was also oddly quiet in here tonight. The breeze made the sheer curtains flutter but the TV was off and there was no other sound to be heard. Tifa looked at Cloud's et dau Toilette sitting on top the dresser. She knew the only reason he hadn't packed it was because he probably couldn't get it past the security checkpoints; it being liquid and all.

Somehow, tonight was more lonesome in here than the first night she without Cloud. Tifa turned on the bathroom light and turned the shower on as she shed her clothes over the floor. As she let hot water cascade over her every curve she thought about how many nights she and Cloud had complete conversations with one of them in the shower and the other one in their bed. It didn't matter that in between every other question or comment one of them yelled what did you say; it was still just one of the things they did. Tifa thought about Barret's visit earlier in the day. She was anxious to tell Cloud all about it. Even though it was midnight, she knew Cloud was awake and waiting for her call three hundred miles away. Tifa made her shower quick. She would wash her hair the next day while the kids were at school. She stepped out onto a semi-wet floor and wrapped a towel around her. Tifa turned the light out, leaving both the bathroom and the bedroom dark. She pulled down the covers on the bed and let her towel hit the floor for the time being. She would pick it up tomorrow morning. She dialed Cloud's cell phone. It was stupid to go through the hotel front desk when she knew he had his phone there beside him. The phone barely even rang once.

"You're home." Cloud answered it.

"Yeah, got in about twenty minutes ago."

"How did things go today?" Cloud asked.

"It went as well as it could go. Barret broke down pretty hard. Marlene was polite with him. She didn't shut him out either. I have to say I uh…I think it was quite good for both of them. I talked to Barret for a while after Marlene started her homework."

"What do you mean he broke down?" Cloud asked.

"He cried pretty hard. I think a flood of a thousand things came to the surface for him at once. I think he might be a little jealous of you." Tifa said.

"I never thought Barret Wallace would be jealous of _me_."

"Me neither." Tifa said laughing. "So anyway, yeah…I'm glad today happened. Marlene made Barret promise to come to the Loveless Festival."

"Think he'll be there?" Cloud asked.

"Believe me, if you would have seen today what I saw you wouldn't even have to ask." Tifa said as she thought of the way Barret had poured his heart out all over her shoulder today. It was the most broken she had ever seen her dear friend.

"Wow. I'm kind of glad I missed it. He would have gotten me going I'm sure." Cloud admitted. Tifa laughed again.

"He almost had me going so I know he would have gotten you going." Tifa confessed. "So, how was your day?"

"It was long. Lots of meetings with way too many people. I've already forgotten names of important people I know I'll meet again this week." Cloud said.

"You must be tired."

"Yeah…yeah I am. You in bed?" Cloud asked her.

"Yeah. I just got out of the shower before I called you." Tifa said.

"So you're naked."

"I am." Tifa laughed. Cloud knew that Tifa loved the feeling of crawling underneath the blankets fresh out of the shower. If she took a shower before coming to bed she would rarely put any clothes on immediately.

"God, what I'd give to see that right now."

"Well you're not wearing a whole lot more than me right now." Tifa said.

"You're right. Maybe I should join you."

"I think you probably should. What I'd give to see _that _right now." Tifa said softly.

"I bet your legs are smooth."

"Mmmm." Was Tifa's reply.

"Oooh god that's a yes..."

"Sounds like you like that. Are you naked yet?" Tifa asked.

"Little bit. Tell me where your hand is."

"Where do you want it to be?" Tifa asked. This conversation would only get dirtier…


	4. Missing You

Cloud had been away for five days. The first full day of him being gone had been filled with a visit from Barret, the next couple days had been business as usual. Tifa and Denzel finished his science fair project and Marlene was back to her happy self. She and Tifa had gone to their aerobics class together and as promised Tifa took Denzel riding on _his _bike. He did so much better with a bike that actually fit him and it tickled Tifa to see how much Denzel loved being on that bike. It had been such a beautiful spring evening the previous day. The smell of grass and wild flowers loomed in the air outside of inner Midgar as Tifa let Denzel ride along the two-lane roads that bordered the outskirts of the city. The smell reminded Tifa of those mid-spring evenings when she and Cloud would take off riding with her perched on the back of the Fenrir. She would let her lips tease the back of his neck and at times she would let her hands roam a little too far south. That wasn't so long ago. There was a knock at the door but Yuffie let herself in without even waking Tifa, breaking her from her daydream.

"Hey! I'm so glad I caught you here at home! I'm on my lunch break. I was wrong on the dates for the Loveless Festival turns out...oh my god! Tifa! What's wrong?" Yuffie asked sitting down beside Tifa on the couch.

"I'm sorry!" Tifa squeaked as she covered her mouth. She was embarrassed.

"Why are you crying?" Yuffie wondered as slow but constant tears streamed out of Tifa's eyes.

"I'm so sorry. God, first Marlene and then Barret and now me. I just…it's so weird around here without Cloud Yuffie. He's never been gone from us like this since he moved in with me. It just…it reminds me of those days I spent alone with the kids and wondering how he was; wondering where he was….wondering…anything. Today is the first day I've realized that…oh god I miss him so much." Tifa said throwing her arms around Yuffie. Tifa wasn't certain what made her break down all of a sudden. Maybe she deserved to have a moment like this since she never, _ever_ had them.

"Tifa! Oh my god! I've never seen you cry before!" Yuffie put her arms around Tifa. said mostly to herself. Tifa deserved to have a good cry over this. My god she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders from everyone else's tears so why not let someone else catch her own?

"I'm sorry Yuffie, I'm so sorry you have to see me like this it's just…god…going to bed without him. Waking up and getting the kids ready without him…I just…I never realized how much…how much I…had gotten used to him being here." Tifa sobbed.

"Well, yeah. You love him. I mean…of course you love him what I meant was…you two have this life together…this…life that...was a long time in the making. You have every right to miss him. He hasn't been away from you guys since… he left you like three years ago. That dumb ass…" Yuffie said shaking her head. Tifa dried her eyes.

"Oh god. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just…things just got to me a little bit." Tifa said regaining her composure after her moment of weakness.

"It's okay. It is. So yeah, I was wrong on the dates. The first day is actually the day after you said Cloud gets back. I thought we had another week. But listen to this! This is exciting, I promise! You know how my boyfriend has an apartment on the rebuilt and remodeled Loveless Avenue? And of course, there's the hotel at the end of Loveless Avenue? Well, I booked a room for you and Cloud, a room for Vincent and his girl if she comes, and a room for Cid! I know it's just downtown but I thought it would be so fun if all of us were there together. Plus, think about it Tifa…it will be the first night of the festival, there will be fireworks over Midgar, it will be a crazy and totally insane night downtown! There will be drinking and wild sex all night because Cloud will have just gotten back from Kalm!" Yuffie said excitedly.

"Yuffie! There will be none of that!" Tifa scolded her as she rubbed her eyes.

"You know how much Denzel and Marlene love spending the night with me! Don't worry about them! We will have so much fun!" Yuffie insisted.

"You…want them to spend the night with you after all the excitement of the Loveless festival's opening night?" Tifa questioned.

"Yes!" Yuffie insisted.

"Okay so…yeah…sex, drugs and rock and roll it is." Tifa said.

"Yes! And lots of it! Jun's apartment overlooks the busiest corner intersection of Loveless Avenue and 32nd street. We can sit out there with the kids and…oh it will be such a great time! It will be loud, it will be bright, it will be crowded below. Oh my god! We'll buy beads to throw at everyone from Jun's front balcony!" Yuffie insisted. Tifa wondered how a guy that worked as an accountant could afford to live in the busiest part of Midgar, in a corner apartment no less but she didn't spend much time questioning it.

"Beads?" Tifa questioned.

"Well, yeah? You know, the purple beaded necklaces that represent the Banora Apples? It's a tradition but it was banned for a while. If you live over Loveless Avenue you throw the purple beads at anyone that shows a play bill. Of course, I'll just throw them at anyone. It sounds like good, clean fun but most everyone will probably be drunk." Yuffie explained to Tifa.

"Yes, my kids will love throwing beads at drunks." Tifa said sarcastically. "Wait, you know Cloud will have been in a hotel for nine days. Do you really think he will want to stay in another room in the middle of Midgar when he can just come home?" Tifa asked.

"Tifa, you're going to be there and you aren't going to be wearing much. He's not gonna give a shit if he's in a hotel room or a cardboard box!" Yuffie said. Tifa couldn't help but laugh since Yuffie was right.

"See, you know I'm right!" Yuffie said punching Tifa in the knee. Tifa sighed.

"Yes…yes, you're right" She admitted. "Wait, wait, wait just a minute…you want to keep _my_ kids…at your _boyfriend's_ apartment! That means you can't be having any wild…" Yuffie cut Tifa off.

"Don't even give me that speech Tifa Lockhart hyphen Strife! You and Cloud have done plenty of stuff with your kids in the same…!" Yuffie insisted.

"It's always been within reason! Within reason, Yuffie!" Tifa said defending herself and Cloud.

"I don't completely believe you but whatever." Yuffie said standing up. Her lunch hour was nearly over. "I just wanted to come tell you about all the excitement. I can't wait. And listen, think about this Tifa. However much you miss Cloud…he misses you fifty times more. He's just too much of a dumb ass to ever admit that out loud. I'm sorry to call your husband a dumbass but that's what he is." Yuffie said. She thought for a moment.

"Cloud is Cloud." Tifa said smiling. Her eyes had completely dried by now.

"That's what you always say and yet somehow…every time it makes sense." Yuffie said as she saw herself to the door. Tifa laughed.

"Yeah, there's really no other way of putting it. I'm sorry for being such a baby. My god, he's only been gone five days, I have four more to get through. Denzel and Marlene don't even seem to mind that he's not here at this point. Denzel has been wrapped up in his school stuff and Marlene has been completely distracted See Yuffie? Why the hell should I be missing him like I do? It's not like we haven't had anything to keep us occupied around here. Not to mention, I've done it on my own with them before." She confessed.

"Right, but you were taking care of them before Cloud was a permanent fixture in your life. And now he…you know…is. Your life changed when you got those kids and his life changed when he realized that he _already _had you." Yuffie said sincerely.

"That might be the smartest thing I've ever heard you say." Tifa said.

"Nah, it's just the only thing you've ever heard me say about Cloud that doesn't involve the phrase pain in the ass." Yuffie said.

"Maybe that's it. Thanks for coming by. I'll talk to you soon." Tifa said as Yuffie was on her way out the door.

"So wait, is it Cloud that you miss or what Cloud can do to you in…" Tufa cut Yuffie off.

"Yuffie, you're done. Bye!" Tifa said laughing at her.

"It's okay for you to miss him _and_ the sex." Yuffie just _had_ to get the last word in as she left the apartment. Tifa sighed as she still smiled. She was alone again. Marlene and Denzel wouldn't be home from school for another two hours. She was actually glad Yuffie had stopped by but Tifa wasn't prepared for herself to break down the way she had, though it had been brief in nature. She glanced over to the small in-table beside the couch.

"Don't you look at me like that. Not even I can keep it together all the time. Of course, I'm not going to tell anybody I cried over Cloud not being here! God, especially him! You would have too; you're way more of a baby than I am. It's okay though…I still care about you." Tifa laughed at herself, she had just sent Yuffie along her merry little way and now she was sitting here talking to Aerith about all this? Scolding her none the less? "It's times like these I really miss you. Yuffie gives it to me straight but you? You would never use the words wild and sex in the same sentence. Okay maybe…_maybe_ on a dare." Tifa stared at the floor, still smiling at herself. "I could sit here and talk to you all day but I…I really should get moving. I got to work in four hours." Tifa said as she stood up from the couch. Her mind was racing a little at the thought of everything Yuffie had shared with her. The Loveless Festival, the mere thought of Cloud coming home and what a reception that would be. Tifa glanced over to the calendar, not that she needed to. Four days to go.

My apologies for the super short chapter and the slow update. I also apologize for any repeated text ( I copied from another document where I was typing) I have a close family member in the hospital and my attention is on her right now. I wanted to get something posted despite it's shortness. My next chapter will be longer, promise!


	5. Innuendo

"Cloud! Cloud! Guess what!" Denzel asked trying to get Cloud's attention.

"Shut up Denzel! Yours is stupid! Mine is way better. He wants to listen to me!" Marlene said.

"Nuh Uh Marlene! This is important!" Denzel insisted.

"No it's not! Cloud, Uncle Cid called yesterday and Shera is coming with him to the Loveless Festival tomorrow!" Marlene said quickly, making sure to get her comment in before Denzel. Cloud found that quite amusing.

"Is that what he said? I'll believe it when I see it." Cloud couldn't wipe the faint smile off his face at the thought of Cid and Shera. He hoped Cid did show up with Shera. "Guess what else, he says Shera is coming to Midgar tonight and he's picking her up at the train station." Marlene added shoving her head between the two front seats of the car.

"Oh, that Cid." Cloud said shaking his head.

"Okay, now it's my turn! Cloud! Tifa says I'm leaning in to the turns now!" Denzel exclaimed.

"What?" Cloud didn't quite understand.

"On my motorcycle! Tifa says I'm doing a good job leaning in to the turns!" Denzel emphasized. He was so excited about this. Tifa laughed at him.

"Yeah, you're doing much better." Tifa said. Both the kids were so excited to see and talk to Cloud. His flight had come in on time and all but he was exhausted from the full morning in Kalm and the long trip back home. Tifa didn't mind driving back home. It was just wonderful to have Cloud's scent fill the car again, even though it was coupled with the smell of airport.

"Good, you can show me how you've improved after the Festival." Cloud assured him.

"Are you excited for the Loveless Festival? We get to stay with Aunt Yuffie at her boyfriend's apartment!" Marlene said.

"He says it's going to be really busy tomorrow! We get to watch the fireworks and everything from his balcony!" Denzel added.

"You all are trying to kill me. Do you realize I just got back from Kalm less than two hours ago?" Cloud reminded Denzel.

"You'll recover by tomorrow. Vincent's going to be there as well. Of course, you already knew that I guess." Tifa said.

"Cloud! Cloud!" Denzel sought his attention.

"Hold on, honey. What do you want to eat when we get home? I don't have anything cooked so pick whatever you want." Tifa said.

"Anything?" Cloud questioned with great curiosity.

"Yes." Tifa said.

"Anything I want?" Cloud questioned further.

"Yes, whatever. It doesn't matter." Tifa said.

"I can pick any…" Tifa cut Cloud off.

"Yes, yes Cloud! Just pick whatever you want to eat! If we're going to stop and get something fine, if I'm cooking something fine. Just tell me what." Tifa insisted.

"I want mozzarella cheese sticks." Cloud said as if he had hit the jackpot.

"You've been gone nine days and _that's _what you want?" Tifa asked.

"Well, I want dipping sauce with them. It's not like I can eat them plain." Cloud said.

"Ooh dipping sauce. Now it's a complete meal!" Tifa said sarcastically. "We need to stop at the store because I don't have cheese or panko." Tifa said.

"Can I go in and get it? I'll be really fast I promise!" Denzel asked.

"Yeah, you can go get it. Use the self checkout so you can pay with the credit card. Cloud get your card out its more convenient than mine." Tifa said as she merged onto the highway that would soon spit them out in downtown Midgar once more.

"Denzel, if management questions you and then calls the police it's all Tifa's fault. Remember that." Cloud said reaching for his wallet.

"Denzel, if management questions you and then calls the police its Cloud's name that's on the card and your answer is my mom doesn't know who this Cloud Strife weirdo is." Tifa said trying to outdo Cloud.

"Oh yeah? Well…I'll just go back to Kalm. People called me sir in Kalm…none of this…let's outdo Cloud crap." Cloud said.

"I'll call you anything you wanna be called…any way you wanna hear it." Tifa said winking at him. It was so subtle however it would have been easy to miss had Cloud not had his eyes glued to her.

"Say my name and wear it out Tifa, wear it out." Cloud said quietly.

"You better keep your voice down. It's bad enough that Denzel heard you say wreck you into next week on speaker phone the other night. Do you realize how creative I had to get in making up an answer to explaining that!" Tifa said. Denzel was distracted in something Marlene was telling him. Cloud laughed.

"What _did_ you end up telling him?" Cloud thought it was more than funny.

"I told him it was your way of challenging me to a battle of who could pin who to the floor first." Tifa said. Cloud laughed a little harder.

"Well, that's….that's kinda' true." Cloud said.

"I suppose…in its own hot and kinky kind of….pick a lane stupid soccer mom in the minivan!" Tifa said getting distracted mid sentence.

"Tifa! That's not very nice! Her kids might not even play soccer." Cloud scolded her.

"There's a soccer ball decal on her back window with her kids' number underneath it." Tifa said passing the van in front of her and taking the exit quickly.

"I'm glad Marlene and Denzel don't bring crap home from school like that and want us to stick it on stuff. They already know we love them right? We don't have to prove it with decals…am I right?" Cloud asked her.

"You're right. Yuffie makes up for our lack of expressing our love for them through decals. My god, she has that horrible sweatshirt that says number one aunt and that obnoxious coffee mug that says my niece is an all-star. That's…that's more than god awful. You can make a right turn idiot!" Tifa yelled at another car in front of her. Cloud looked at her.

"You're driving like a psycho…you totally need to get laid." He said as softly as he could but loud enough for her to hear him. Tifa didn't say anything as she flew into the grocery store parking lot but her face said it all.

"Denzel! Denzel, we'll be right here. Make it quick." Tifa said interrupting whatever Denzel and Marlene were talking about. He got out of the car as quickly as he could after Tifa had pulled in the lot and parked as close to the door as she could get.

"Cloud, Denzel won third place in the science fair with his materia fusion project." Marlene said.

"He did? Why hasn't he said anything about it?" Cloud wondered.

"Because he's waiting to show you the ribbon he got. Don't tell him I told you and you have to act surprised even though it's lame." Marlene said.

"Why is it lame?" Cloud questioned.

"Because! He did a good job and all he got was a stupid ribbon!" Marlene said. Tifa laughed.

"Marlene, there was free pizza that night. Doesn't that make up for his…crappy ribbon?" Tifa asked.

"No! He deserved to get better than that! Oh Cloud? Everyone asked where you were. Everybody wanted to know where Tifa's hot husband was." Marlene said laughing."

"She's not lying about that. Three teachers and seven annoying PTO moms all desperately wanted to know where you were." Tifa said.

"Why!" Cloud asked letting a rare blond moment shine right through. Denzel came running out from the store and as he opened the car door Tifa told Cloud exactly why. "They want to eyefuck you." She mouthed the words to him.

"Stupid…house wives…violating me…" Cloud mumbled. They were finally ready to head home and get Cloud settled in again.

By 7:00 that evening Cloud's dirty laundry was strung out down the hallway and the smell of fried panko loomed in the kitchen. Marlene was kind enough to separate and start a load of the clothes and there was certainly plenty to do. Tifa had a handful of papers in her hand as Cloud laid in her lap. "I can't believe you got the merger. This is exciting." She said as she began putting her signature on a few of the documents. Her signature was as important as Cloud's since after all, she too owned Strife Delivery Service. These documents would be faxed to Kalm Trader Incorporated first thing on Monday and the merger would be official. This business merger was a major moment and could potentially lead to an eventual buyout of Kalm Trader Incorporated. The merger would keep them from going bankrupt and make Strife Delivery Service _the_ delivery service of choice for most air cargo coming in to Midgar. It was strange for Tifa to see the letterhead of SDS/KTI, indicating the reality of the merger. It was amazing how Cloud's business had grown from just him, Tifa and an overly crowded apartment to _this_.

"I missed you…a lot." Cloud admitted. He was in a near trance as Tifa pulled her fingers through his hair.

"I missed you too. The kids missed you. It's not the same around here without you. It's not at all the same." Tifa said.

"It's not the same because your vibrator only has two speeds…I have…like…twelve." Cloud said. Tifa couldn't help but smile.

"Do you realize that I haven't used a vibrator since you and I first had sex?"

"There's no substitute for the real thing, Tifa." Cloud said.

"You're right. But I can tell you're too tired to give me the real thing tonight. You just wait until tomorrow. I won't spare you any mercy." Tifa said as she continued pulling her fingers through his hair. The room was so quiet as she read through some of the documents. The only sound to be heard was that of the washing machine in the hall. Tifa laid the papers face down on the table beside the couch as she completed each one. Before she realized it, thirty minutes had slipped by. "What's an air cargo acquisition fee?" Tifa asked. There was no response from Cloud. "Cloud?" Tifa questioned. She pulled the paper aside. He was asleep. She had no idea how long he had been asleep but he looked so peaceful. Tifa loved watching Cloud sleep. It was one of her secret guilty pleasures. She always thought he seemed so far away from the world when he was asleep like this. It was also the time she thought Cloud resembled his mother the most. She remembered the rare occasions when she would peek through the window in Cloud's childhood home to see if he was there but instead would see he and his mother asleep on the couch. There was never a doubt in the world that it was mother and son as the resemblance in their features was unmistakable. The phone rang snapping Tifa out of her daze. She answered it as quickly as she could. "Hello?"

"Hey, Momma. Listen, what the hell time am I supposed to come by tomorrow? Marlene told me 5:30. Cid's sayin' 4:30…so what time?" Barret Wallace asked.

"Dinner with Yuffie and her boyfriend is at 5:30. Through traffic in the city shuts down at 4:30. We are going to walk to Yuffie's boyfriends' place. It's stupid to drive down there. Why don't you come by closer to 4:30?" Tifa said as softly as she could.

"Okay, okay. Yeah. Why you talkin' so soft?" Barret asked.

"Cloud's in my lap." Tifa said. There was a bit of silence on the other end of the phone.

"He's where! Momma, pull them panties up!" Barret said.

"What! No! No! He's not in my lap like…_that_! Although…oooh I wish he was. Sorry! Sorry! He's exhausted. I can't possibly be that selfish." Tifa confessed.

"You tell Spikey to wake the hell up! He got a woman to handle! Alright. I'll see you tomorrow at 4:30. I'm lookin' forward to this. Should I bring anythin'?" Barret asked.

"No, Yuffie and her boyfriend have gone on a food and alcohol rampage and I swear his place is going to look like a freaking catered event." Tifa said quietly. Barret laughed.

"Sounds like it's gonna be one hell of a festival." He said. "See ya tomorrow, Momma."

"Bye, Barret." Tifa said hanging up the phone. Cloud stirred slightly on Tifa's lap. He rolled over and dug his fingertips into the top of her jeans.

"Was that the phone?" Cloud mumbled to her as Tifa felt Cloud unbutton her jeans.

"Yeah. It was Barret." She answered squirming a little.

"Why you squirmin'?" Cloud asked her already knowing the answer. Tifa moaned slightly.

"Why do you think?" she whispered.

"You wanna squirm some more?" Cloud asked tugging at the fabric around her hips.

"Oh god yeah…yeah." Tifa tried to hide the earnest in her voice but she couldn't hide the earnest in her hand as she let her palm glide down Cloud's body.

"_That's_ something I haven't felt in a while." He mumbled to her at the feeling of Tifa's warm hand on his boxers.

"You wanna feel somethin' else you haven't felt in a while?" Tifa asked as she squirmed a little more. Tifa didn't need to wait for an answer. Cloud glanced up at her and pushed himself off her lap. He pulled her off the couch by the waist of her jeans. Exhausted? Sure he was tired, but come on…he wasn't _that_ exhausted…

My apologies for the slow update! I have been very VERY ill and haven't even had the energy to sit up going on five days now. I'm finally recovering and so I should be able to update again soon. Thanks for hanging in there with me everyone!


	6. 100 Percent Cool Fun Aunt

"Well?" Tifa asked seeking approval of what she had chosen to wear on this beautifully warm festival night. Cloud was throwing a few things in a large slouchy bag for he and Tifa to have for their overnighter on downtown Loveless Avenue. Yuffie had come by the previous day to get some of Marlene and Denzel's clothes for their sleepover with her. She didn't want Cloud and Tifa to have to drag all the kids' crap, though it wasn't much, for the duration of the sixteen block walk to Loveless Avenue. Cloud zipped their bag up and turned around. He looked Tifa up and down. She was stunning in her plum colored dress; as purple as were the Banora apples. Her bare shoulders were enticing and soft purple fabric that encompassed her neck was light as air. It wasn't by any means a formal dress, it was as simple and casual as the late spring air but it was beautiful.

"My god you look amazing. I mean…just amazing." Cloud said. Tifa smiled.

"Good, that was the reaction I was going for." She admitted rather slyly.

"I'm all packed here. We should probably get going." Cloud said.

"We can't leave without Barret. He'll be here any minute I'm just sure of it." Tifa said leaving the room to make sure Marlene and Denzel were ready to walk out the door just the minute Barret arrived. Like clockwork, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Tifa yelled. "See, I told you he'd be here any minute." Tifa said to Cloud.

"Hey Strife's…and kids." Barret said coming through the front door. Marlene rushed out to greet him. "Never thought I'd call this house the Strife's. Hey little girl you ready for the festival?" Barret asked reaching strong arms and hugging Marlene. It was a complete one-eighty from the somewhat tense and slightly resentful meeting he and Marlene had in their previous encounter. Perhaps all the in between phone calls to Marlene had redeemed him of his absence more than he thought.

"Yes! Look! Look! My hair is curly and I have a purple bow!" Marlene said excitedly. She had just pulled the hot curlers out of her hair after badgering Tifa for a good thirty minutes to put them in. The result was a bouncy mass that Yuffie would think was just too cute.

"Cloud are you sure about this?" Denzel asked walking into the bedroom as he second guessed the plum colored polo he was wearing.

"Are you saying you're not man enough to wear purple?" Cloud asked him. Cloud was wearing lavender but with that much testosterone it was more than easy for him to pull it off.

"Well no but…I don't…I'm a lot punier than you." Denzel finally admitted. Cloud laughed at him.

"You're fine Denzel. Do you think I'd send you out in public with a purple shirt if I didn't think it looked fine? Would I ever jeopardize your image? You have a motorcycle, Denzel…do you think I'd mess with that?" Cloud asked him putting his hands on Denzel's shoulders. Denzel laughed.

"No!" he answered.

"You're right. Come on, let's go. We need to get to Yuffie's." Cloud said picking up the slouchy bag and turning out the bedroom lights. Tifa had several other things crammed in her big purse.

"I think I'm gonna be out of place. I didn't wear any purple as you can see." Barret said. Purple was _the_ color of the Loveless Festival. It represented the gift of the goddess and it symbolized the Banora apples; not that the apples were the gift of the goddess but they were of great significance nonetheless. Tifa locked the door behind them and turned the light on beside their front door. Sure their apartment above the bar was tucked away from the Midgar traffic but it was still a measure of safety to not leave a darkened door. The five of them made their way down the stairs and headed towards the sidewalks. It was going to be a long walk to Yuffie's boyfriend's place but it was a splendid April evening and it would be a delightful walk. Barret was talking Cloud's leg off about everything from the business to the kids to life as a married man to the new traffic patterns in downtown Midgar. He and Cloud were walking slightly behind Tifa and the kids.

"You know Spikey, I've always thought you were a spikey blonde dumb-ass…an' I gotta say…I wish I had everythin' you had." Barret admitted. "Oh and uh…you still a spikey blonde but you're not the dumb ass you used to be." Cloud looked to the pavement.

"Thanks…that uh…that means a lot coming from you. You know, me and Tifa were so mad you for a long time for never coming around to see Marlene. We thought you were just out on survey jobs because she was getting older and you didn't know what to do with her but…finally I figured out that you were just trying the best you could. I gotta' admit though I'm so happy you let us adopt her as ours. You know what they say, every man wants two women…I got 'em." Cloud said. Barret laughed.

"Yeah…yeah you did. Marlene got a good Momma that's for sure and…well her daddy ain't bad either." Barret said throwing a strong hand in the middle of Cloud's back.

"You'll always be her dad too Barret. My god, you got her off on the right foot in this work, you know? You had her at the most difficult times. Hell, I got it easy...until she's thirteen that is. Then all hell will break loose of course and I'll have to implant a tracking device in her and burn every skirt she owns. Barret laughed. As the five of them got closer to downtown Midgar the foot traffic increased as did the cars trying to get out of the inner city before the streets were blockaded. It was thrilling to see how excited Marlene and Denzel were over the whole thing. They had never seen the city so alive as it was tonight. It looked as if there were so much to do and see down here tonight. The apartment building that was their destination came in to view.

"Can we go ahead! Please! We'll be careful crossing the street!" Denzel begged Tifa. He and Marlene wanted to take off for Jun's building.

"Honey, I don't think so. It's really crowded and I don't want…" Barret cut Tifa off.

"Let 'em go, Momma." Barret said. Tifa glanced over at Cloud. He seemed to side with Barret on this one.

"Okay, okay go ahead. But hold hands!" Tifa yelled as they took off before she could hardly get the sentence out.

"If they get stampeded it both of your faults." Tifa said turning around. Marlene and Denzel had been in this apartment before and they thought it was so cool that you had to use the phone in the elevator to get to Yuffie's boyfriends' floor. "Barret, are you staying here in town tonight?" Tifa asked.

"Nah, Yuffie mentioned it but I'm gonna head back home tonight after the fireworks." Barret said. "You two stayin'?"

"Yeah, Yuffie got us a room at the hotel across the street two weeks ago. Cid and Shera are staying too." Tifa shared.

"What about Vincent?" Cloud asked.

"He's not staying." Tifa told him.

"Maybe I'll leave with him tonight. His girl comin'?" Barret wondered.

"I don't think she is. Her son is sick." Tifa said now that they had crossed the street. It was apparent that Marlene and Denzel had already made their way to the elevator.

"This is a damn nice building." Barret said as they three of them waited on the elevator.

"It is a nice building. Yuffie says he's lived here for close to a year." Tifa said as the elevator arrived. She stepped in first and telephoned upstairs to get the clearance or the elevator to go to the top floor.

"That's fancy." Barret said after Tifa had hung up the in-elevator phone.

"Hey, Yuffie knows how to pick 'em." Tifa said teasingly. It didn't take long for the elevator doors to fly open on the top floor. Her boyfriend's corner unit was at the end of the hall on the left corner of the building. Tifa barely knocked on the door only to discover it was already open. "We're here! But I guess you figured that…oh my god what are you wearing?" Tifa changed her thought mid-sentence as she looked at a very excited Yuffie.

"Don't you love it! Jun had it made for me! You love it don't you?" Yuffie asked stretched it out.

"100% Cool Fun Aunt." Tifa read it out loud. It was a horrible purple shirt with white lettering and the sad thing was that Yuffie would very likely wear this thing in public again. "Oh Yuffie…you're so lame." Tifa said hugging her.

"Don't worry! I can get you one that says whatever you want! Oh! I know! How about…Princess Bitch! Huh? Huh! It's sassy, it's edgy, it's…" Cloud interrupted Yuffie.

"Yuffie, how much have you had to drink?" he asked.

"I may have had a couple glasses of my special punch…come on! You all get in here and have some of my special punch! I love drunk Cloud! Drunk Cloud is easy Cloud!" Yuffie said taking Tifa by the hand and dragging her to the punch bowl hoping that Cloud and Barret would follow.

"Oh, that is not true!" Cloud defended himself.

"Yes it is! You're like a flirty sorority girl in a bar. Tifa doesn't even have to try!" Yuffie said pouring Cloud a glass of her punch. "Don't worry. I made Kool-Aid for Marlene and Denzel. It's the blue-raspberry kind."

"Well, you're stuck with them for the night so if you want to hype them up on sugar that's entirely your choice." Tifa said taking a glass of punch from Yuffie.

"I made crème cake too! And chocolate fudge! See, Marlene's already found it!" Yuffie insisted.

"Once again, they are _your_ children tonight so it's your choice if you all want to be up at midnight together." Tifa reiterated as she pet Yuffie on the head.

"The fireworks don't even start until 11:30 so you know we'll be up at midnight! Hell Tifa, we'll be up until two or three. We have beads to throw! BEADS! And…and…I rented four movies including the movie version of Loveless!" Yuffie was so worked up that one would have thought she herself may have emptied the sugar bowl into her mouth. It was also endearing, how excited she got when she got to do something with Marlene and Denzel. She loved those kids like they were her own and her boyfriend didn't mind having them around either.

"Hey you two, you're going to spoil your dinner." Tifa said walking over to the couch where Marlene and Denzel were sitting. However, she thought about what she had just said. "Yuffie…you _did_ make them dinner, right?"

"Remember what I told you on the phone the other day? Look in the kitchen and just see how much food we have! Look! Assorted deli sandwiches with condiments! Three kinds of dip and chips to accompany! A shrimp ring! Banora apples, ACTUAL apples from Banora! Cresent roll thingys with some kind of meat inside! Meatballs in sauce! A cheese tray…." Tifa cut Yuffie off now that she could clearly see how much food was here and that no one up to and including Marlene and Denzel would starve.

"Okay, okay…you can…stop there I think I get the idea." Tifa said. In the midst of all this Cloud had somehow made it out to the apartment balcony with Vincent and Barret. It was the perfect view of a city in celebration.

"Aunt Yuffie, can we go ahead and get something to eat?" Denzel asked her.

"Of course you can! You don't have to wait on someone else to start." Yuffie assured Denzel. He and Marlene didn't waste another minute to storm the kitchen.

"Thanks for getting us a room across the street. What do I owe you? I'll write you a check." Tifa said.

"No! Don't pay me right now. Just wait." Yuffie said. "I'm so happy you two are staying! Is Cloud recovered from his trip?" Tifa rolled her eyes.

"Well, he woke at 7:00 this morning and immediately started whining. It's so early! Why am I up? I can't go back to sleep now! I slept till nearly 8:00 in Kalm! Your foot is cold!" Tifa re-enacted the whole thing for Yuffie. "I swear….he's my third child sometimes…I need more punch." Tifa didn't even bother with the dipper. She just submerged her cup into the pinkish colored liquid. She never even bothered to ask Yuffie what she put in it.

"He's your third child _all_ the time. God only knows you're the only one who can take care of that." Yuffie said putting something into the oven.

"What are you making now?" Tifa asked as she put coasters underneath Marlene and Denzel's plastic cups.

"Pecans with a honey cinnamon glaze. I made a really big batch so me and the kids could snack on them all night." Yuffie said. There was a knock at the door but Cid being who he was, didn't wait on anyone to answer it.

"Uncle Cid is here!" Marlene announced to no one in particular.

"Sure am! Come here both of ya'. I want you to meet Shera." Cid requested of both Marlene and Denzel. "Shera, this is Marlene and her brother Denzel. These are Cloud and Tifa's kids." He explained since Shera had never met either of them and vice versa. Shera looked at Marlene and then at Tifa with question all over her face.

"Oh my god, you have kids! It's so nice to meet you two. Cid talks a lot about you both." Shera said as she sat down with Marlene and Denzel.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing." Cloud said as he came back inside from the balcony only to see Shera sitting on the couch.

"Hey, I told you Shera would be here! Don't look at me like I'm some half-ass liar!" Cid said. "Stay there. I'm coming outside for a cigarette." Tifa had given up on trying cleaning Cid's mouth up in front of Marlene and Denzel. It was a lost cause. Cid was Cid and he said whatever the hell came to his mind no matter how many four letter words it involved.

"Okay, but let me get some more of Yuffie's punch first." Cloud said. "Hi Shera." Cloud greeted her.

"Hi, it's nice to see you. I can't believe you and Tifa have had two kids since I last you." Shera said.

"Huh? No, no Shera. We didn't make 'em from scratch. They were already fully assembled when we got 'em." Cloud told her.

"I've never heard it put that way, Cloud." Shera said.

"We're adopted." Denzel explained to her.

"Hey you two. Shera's a really smart scientist. She's worked in labs and on rockets. " Cid told them as he joined Cloud in partaking of Yuffie's special punch before he drug Cloud back outside.

"You are?" Marlene asked her.

"Cid!" Shera blushed. "He's exaggerating." Shera said.

"I am not! You two ask her all about it." Cid said disappearing with Cloud and joining Vincent outside. The truth was that he wasn't exaggerating. Shera had a brilliant mind but only until recently had Cid built her up and acknowledged how truly intelligent she was. It was no secret to Cloud or Tifa that it had been a rocky road in the past for Cid and Shera. It was by no means a love story filled with rainbows and butterflies. He had never been physically abusive to her, but his words had cut her like a knife so many times before. He and Shera had known each other since they were both in their early twenties, they had lived together on and off for fifteen years. They were meant for each other because they both had always had the same hopes and dreams in life. It had only been recently that they were finally able to work through everything that had created so much tension between them for so long. Cid had named his airship after her for god's sake…if that wasn't a way of saying I love you nothing was.

Finally, it was a full house in the downtown Midgar apartment. Yuffie was ready for the fun to begin.

Sorry for the slow update and any typos. I won't lie I didn't proof this like I do other chapters. More attention to detail in the next!


	7. Shera Livingston, One and Only

"I thought you finally gave up cigarettes?" Cloud asked as he, Cid, Barret and Vincent stared over the balcony into the noise and crowd below.

"I did…until uh…until Shera happened." Cid admitted.

"What do you mean until Shera happened? Fool, that woman been in your life longer Tifa's been in Spikey's." Barret said.

"I know, I know. Only now uh…things are more serious between us than they ever have been." Cid confessed lighting up his cigarette.

"I thought you and Shera had been together for over fifteen years? That's…that's pretty committed, Cid." Vincent asked.

"Damn it! Do you three not cut a guy a break! Shera gave me an ultimatum and I got scared. I don't blame her. She said damn it Cid either get the hell in to my life or get the hell out of it. And fuck, she's right! She's exactly right! I need to make up my god damn mind instead of staying with her for six months then bailin' on 'er and then comin' back in her life for another three and fuckin' her world and her life all to shit…well hell Cloud you know exactly what I mean!" Cid ranted. "Shit! I met Shera where I was 21. She was 23 and I'll never forget that day. My god how I'll never forget it…up there on the Shin-Ra Aeronautics Research floor. She was wearin' a white Shin-Ra lab coat. She had a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. She looked up at me and took her glasses off. I read the embroidery on her lab coat: SHERA LIVINGSTON, MAS." Cid shook his head. "She took my breath away. I said hello and before I knew it we were sitting at a lab table and she was showin' me her fission reaction formulas. My god there were pages and pages of 'em…and all these diagrams to match."

"Cid, what you gettin' at?" Barret asked.

"She showed you her formulas on a first date? Damn, what a slut." Vincent said sarcastically.

"What's MAS?" Cloud wondered.

"First, Vincent…fuck you. Second, Cloud…MAS is Master's in Aviation Science and Third, Barret…Shera givin' me an ultimatum made me realize that I can't live without her and what an ass I have been to her for so long. She's just like Tifa, she put up with me because she loved me and she knew me better than anyone else and damn it me and Shera are getting' married back home, Rocket Town, in six months. I want you all there; if you're not there I'll kick your asses!" Cid finally got to the point of his story. Cloud, Vincent and Barret looked at Cid in a state of shock.

"Say that again so I know you not drunk. You finally…after twenty years…gon' marry Shera?" Barret asked.

"Yes, I Cid Highwind take thee Shera Livingston, Ph.D to be my wife." Cid said flicking his cigarette over the balcony.

"Marlene and Denzel throw a mean bachelor party." Cloud said teasingly.

"I'm confused. Did she basically say Cid marry me or else?" Vincent wondered.

"Hell no! Her ultimatum was Cid you either live with me or without me. You don't come and go and come and go. Now, I would appreciate it if at some point tonight you two would look at the ring on Shera's finger. It belonged to my mother and frankly, I think it looks beautiful on 'er."

"I'll go look at it right now 'cause my glass is empty." Barret said.

"So Cid, what's sex like your forties? Tell me what I should expect." Cloud asked.

"Barret, I'll get your punch. You stay out here and throw his skinny white ass over this railing." Cid said. That got a bit of a chuckle out of Vincent.

"What did I do!" Cloud tried to convince Cid.

"Oh Cloudy…it's like a fine wine…getting better and better with age. That is until around age fifty-five when biology fails you." Cid said.

"Shit Cid…you funny." Barret said.

"You know I've always kept a copy of Shera's doctoral dissertation close by at home and every time I would leave her hangin' I would go home and read that dissertation and drink straight Jagermeister…I'm talkin' shoot that shit straight out of the bottle. Once I was drunk as fuck I would start kickin' myself sayin' why the fuck did you leave her all alone again. What the fuck's wrong with you Cid Highwind! Well, I'm never gonna take Shera for granted again." Cid said.

"I have a picture of Tifa in my wallet and all she's wearing is tan lines. That's like a doctoral dissertation only….not like one in any way at all." Cloud said.

"You are so stupid sometimes and you have the lowest alcohol tolerance in the world! Gimme your glass fool, I'll be back." Barret said going to refill his glass and Cloud's.

"What's her doctorate?" Vincent asked.

"Aeronautic Engineering." Cid said. "Shit Vincent…I get all tingly all over just thinkin' about that." Cid threw the butt of his cigarette over the railing and reached for another one. Just then, Yuffie came bursting through the sliding glass door with her arms full.

"Here! Take some beads! Throw them at the crowd down there. Here, watch. HEY! HEEEEEEEEEEEY! HEY! BANORAAAAAAA!" Yuffie screamed at a group of people who screamed Banora back at her. She proceeded to shower them with purple beads. "Just wait until it gets later, me and the kids are going to throw beads at the drunks." Yuffie said.

"You're going to expose my children to a drunk and rowdy crowd!" Cloud demanded of Yuffie as Barret returned.

"Cloud, please! You and Tifa have exposed them to more than you'll ever know!" Yuffie said taking her massive wad of beads back inside the apartment.

"No we haven't!" Cloud insisted as he took his glass from Barret.

"I'm going to get in to Yuffie's food. I thought my sexy wife would have brought me something by now. See what you have to look forward to Cid? Look, Tifa's in there just eating away at whatever she wants and I'm all…out here." Cloud said.

"You are such an idiot sometimes." Vincent said as he, Cid and Barret followed Cloud back inside the apartment.

"And that's the story of how me and Cloud have two children that are almost half our age." Tifa had apparently been explaining how she and Cloud came to be Marlene and Denzel's parents to Shera.

"Wow. Well, they seem really great kids. It seems like you two have done a good job with them." Shera said as she watched them and Yuffie do something in the kitchen.

"Thanks. We've tried really hard and I'd be lying if I said it was easy and I'd be lying if I said me and Cloud wanted it this way...at first I mean. Seriously, I'll be twenty-six next month; Cloud will be twenty-seven in August. Do you think raising two children entering their teen years was in our plans? We spent so much time at first convincing everyone around us and ourselves that the kids weren't ours and this was only temporary that neither of us realized that we became their parents amidst our own selfishness. Now, we can't imagine life without them. My god, Shera we have a college fund! Granted, there's only 5000 gil in it…but still…you get my point." Tifa said.

"That's really something. It is. If it had been me and Cid…well there's no way we could have completely rearranged our lives the way you two did. That's quite admirable." Shera said. Shera was about to tell Tifa her big news when Cloud took Tifa's plate out of her hand.

"It's okay. I was totally done with that." Tifa told him sarcastically.

"Yeah, you were. Look! All you left were the cauliflower pieces in this pasta salad! How am I supposed to eat what's left on your plate when all you leave is the stupid stuff? Look, a half eaten pickle? Why would you leave half? It's a pickle!" Cloud said.

"Go drink some more of Yuffie's special punch and I will make you a plate that includes a complete pickle." Tifa said.

"That's okay, I don't want a pickle now that I've eaten the rest of yours. I will get _you_ some more punch though." Cloud said giving Tifa her plate back. She rolled her eyes at Shera.

"Hey, you know what's funny? This is the Loveless Festival, yet we have no intentions of going to _see_ Loveless performed tonight." Vincent said grabbing Denzel by the arm as he rounded the end of the kitchen counter. Vincent put his hands on Denzel's shoulders. "I hear you have your own bike and when I say bike I don't mean the lame kind." That was an open invitation for Denzel to talk Vincent's leg off all about it. Denzel jumped at any opportunity to talk about it and couldn't wait to show anyone and everyone pictures of it on his phone.

"Shera, what did Tifa say when you told her?" Cid asked sitting beside Shera and putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I haven't had a chance to tell her yet." Shera admitted.

"Tell me what?" Tifa asked. Cid looked at Shera. She smiled and blushed a little.

"We're getting married in October at Rocket Town and you better be there." Cid said. Before Tifa could ever react Yuffie just so happened to overhear this.

"What the hell! Ooooh bullllll shit Cid Highwind! Did I just hear you say what I think you said!" Yuffie practically yelled.

"Yuffie Kisaragi! You can't use that language in front Marlene and Denzel!" Tifa said hitting Yuffie hard in the arm.

"Oh! Vincent has them both entirely distracted! Did you hear what Cid said! He just used the words Shera and married in the same sentence! This is almost as big as the time Cloud used the words Tifa and love and you and I in the same sentence! Oh god...I gotta drink to this one!" Yuffie said going for her punch.

"Wow! This is huge! You better believe we won't miss this wedding for the world." Tifa said.

"Well, it's not going to be anything much, only about fifty people will be there if that. Very, very informal."

"Here! Here! Here! To Cid and Shera!" Yuffie said pouring her punch out of a pitcher into Tifa, Cid and Shera's glasses.

"Yuffie, you are crazy tonight. I can't believe I'm entrusting my children to you." Tifa said clanging her plastic glass into Cid, Shera's, and Yuffie's.

"Oh Tifa, you'll completely forget about me and my cool t-shirt and my special punch and the kids staying up past midnight when you are across the street in that hotel on your back wearin' Cloud's name out."

"My god what are you two talkin' about?" Cloud asked. He appeared with a full plate at just the precise time to get in on the very tail of this conversation.

"You bein' on top." Yuffie said practically swallowing an entire glass of punch in two gulps. Cloud had the strangest look on his face.

"On top of what?" he asked.

"You're wife." Yuffie said. Cloud shook his head.

"What would I be doin' there?" he asked her as innocently as possible.

"Anything you want I'm just sure of it." Yuffie said.

"No! Not anything! Tifa will not have sex with me on our balcony thing! She says it's too public!" Cloud said.

"Oh my god not this…" Tifa mumbled as she took another drink.

"Come on Tifa! Fuck Cloud on the balcony!" Yuffie said.

"You can't say fuck!" Tifa scolded her.

"Oh, I see. I can't _say _fuck with two kids in the room but you two _can _fuck with two kids in the room! Besides…look! They are both over there occupied with Vincet!" Yuffie asked and tried to make the best of this situation.

"Hey, they are…they are down the hall when that happens!" Cloud said.

"Oh Cloud…you are so naïve. They may look all innocent over there with Vincent. But believe me…I've told you this before and I'll tell you again…they know what you're doing…with Tifa…behind closed doors." Yuffie warned.

"I am still choosing to pretend like they don't know." Cloud admitted. "Come on, let's take this party outside. It's cooler out there anyway."

"You're right. I shouldn't have turned the oven on because that just makes this apartment even warmer."

"Did your boyfriend care that all your friends invaded his apartment tonight? I can't help but notice he didn't invite any of his friends." Tifa commented.

"He doesn't care. His friends are stupid anyway. How many cigarettes are you going to go through tonight?" Yuffie asked as she stepped outside. It was such a refreshing sight to see Cid with Shera's back pressed up against him and his fingers interlaced with hers. Of every person Cid had ever come in contact with; this was the one he needed more than anyway else. "Here, hold this! I gotta go get my beads! Look how big that crowd is getting! And wow is it getting loud out here!" Yuffie said shoving her plate into Shera's hands.

"Hey Tifa…" Cloud began.

"What?" she asked.

"I think…I'm a little drunk…because now…I'm really thinking this balcony would be better for sex than ours…there are more people here." Cloud said. In his mind this made PERFECT sense. Tifa shook her head.

"Cloud…come here." Tifa grabbed him by the collar and pulled his ear up against her punch-soaked lips. He looked at Tifa. The expression in those blue eyes could only be described as greedy. "Relax…that's just a prelude. I didn't tell anything about the main event." Tifa promised.

"You certainly know how to create a problem, Tifa." Cloud said turning his back to Yuffie, Cid and Shera as he grabbed Tifa's hand.

"Just start thinking about Yuffie and her lame t-shirt and that problem will go right away." Tifa said.

A fair warning…epic lemon to come in the next chapter ;)


	8. An Old Favorite

"GET OUT HERE! GET OUR HERE! THE FIREWORKS ARE STARTING!" Yuffie yelled….drunkly.

"Maybe we should just take the kids with…" Cloud cut Tifa off as she stumbled over him on the balcony-deck hybrid that was attached to Yuffie's boyfriend's apartment.

"No, they are staying with Yuffie. Look, Tifa! They don't even know you and I are here! They are hanging on each side of her." Cloud said tugging on Tifa's arm. "Get back here, I'm not done with you."

"Cloud! She's drunk and she's throwing wads of beads at drunks below us! She's….god now she's got them throwing beads and they're leaning awfully far over the edge of that banister! I bet there are half naked people down there!" Tifa said.

"Look! Her boyfriend is right beside Denzel and Barret is right beside Marlene. If anyone is half naked down in the streets, well then that's just a risk we have to take. Nothing is going to happen to them…now…get back here!" Cloud said pulling on Tifa with both hands. She was still trying to squirm free of him to go pull Yuffie away from the banister. "N…no…no….stop squirming…hold still!" Cloud said shifting his grip and grabbing her shoulders.

"God, you are so annoying." Tifa said slapping him.

"No, I'm not. I'm completely unannoying." Cloud tightened his arms around her and pulled her backwards in to him.

"Yes…you are…no…no…no…stop! Stop it! Stop it! Oh my god…I am gonna kick your ass…" Tifa said through gritted teeth even though she was fighting back laughter.

"Cloud, you're gonna fuck her in like…an hour and a half so…you know…she doesn't need that foreplay despite how hot it could potentially be." Cid said. Naturally, his voice was much too loud. The sight of Shera in his lap and his arms around her was quite possibly the most endearing thing of this night. Perhaps it was the fireworks that exploded above them that made it even more picture-perfect. Shera laughed at Cid as she wrapped her hands around his.

"You…don't know the time frame." Cloud said. "Besides she wants to be the safety police! Tell her our kids are in good hands with drunk Yuffie!" Cloud said.

"Hey! Tifa…Cloudy says he's gonna do anything you want later…we're talkin' anything." Cid said.

"I did not say that!" Cloud argued him.

"Yeah, you did. C'mon Cloud, you and me both know that all Tifa has to do is say…" Cloud cut Cid off.

"Cid, shut up! Don't give her any ideas." Cloud said still holding on to Tifa. "Don't make her think I am just some hot piece of ass she can have her way with!" Cloud said. Shera laughed and nearly fell off of Cid.

"Cloud…shit, man." Cid said.

"Shhh! My kids are looking at me and Tifa." No sooner than those words left Cloud's mouth Denzel and Marlene had both left Yuffie's side and practically tackled Cloud and Tifa. They were getting too big to throw themselves in to Cloud and Tifa with such force but as far as they were concerned that was part of the fun. "My god, it's loud out here! How long has it been this loud out here?" Barret asked anyone that would answer him.

"Ever since these fireworks started. You ever wonder how they get this many different shades of purple fireworks?" Vincent asked him.

"You're a smart man Vincent." Barret said.

"Hey you two. Me and Tifa are getting ready to leave. We want to get across the street before that crowd down there breaks up." Cloud said putting on hand on Barret's shoulder and one hand on Vincent. Denzel and Marlene had freed both Cloud and Tifa long enough to go attach themselves to Yuffie again.

"Alright. Listen Cloud, I've always thought…you would never be more than a spikey dumb ass but I'm glad you finally came around." Barret said throwing a strong arm over Cloud.

"I've always thought you were…tall, muscular and black." Cloud said. That was a drunk Cloud statement if there had ever been a drunk Cloud statement.

"Aaaahhhhh, Spikey! That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" Barret said. Maybe he had already had a little too much to drink as well

"I meant every word." Cloud promised him. "Bye, Vincent." Cloud said.

"Bye, I'll see you again soon." Vincent said.

"You two be good, okay? Listen to Yuffie and please, please don't stay up all night?" Tifa told Marlene and Denzel with an arm wrapped around each of them. She was practically yelling at them over all the noise out here tonight and she had to pry them both away from Yuffie's side.

"Tifa! You tell us the same stuff over and over!" Marlene said.

"I know I do but I just worry about you. Hey, you two help her clean up tomorrow and don't…" Tifa wasn't done but Cloud interrupted her.

"Do whatever you want, Yuffie doesn't care. Binge yourselves on candied pecans and Kool-Aid until you throw up for all I care, you two are Yuffie's problem tonight. We love you and we'll see you sometime tomorrow. We're right across the street in that building with all the flags on it if you need anything. I have my cell phone and Tifa has hers. Be sure to charge your phones up tonight before you go to bed and you know you're not allowed to watch anything rated R. There Tifa, I said in twenty seconds what you would have said in ten minutes. Come here, give us a hug before we leave." Cloud said grabbing Denzel before they left.

"Oh my god! Yuffie is gonna fall over that railing before the end of the night." Tifa said as she hugged Marlene and watched as Yuffie precariously leaned over the railing and screamed at people below her; assaulting them with beads. Good god! HSe had one foot airborn!

"Hey, are you two stayin' at the hotel tonight?" Cloud asked Cid. Cid flicked his cigarette a bit before he answered. It was hard to imagine that Shera didn't mind having the smell of tobacco smoke loom in her hair but she obviously didn't care since Cid had smoked off and on (mostly on) for years.

"Yes, we are and we hope to god our room isn't beside yours. If it is, I swear I'm getting it fuckin' switched." Cid told Cloud.

"You cannot say fuck with our two…oh who gives a shit anymore. I'm gettin' laid." Tifa said _very_ honestly as she and Cloud left this party behind. He and Tifa stepped inside the apartment and Cloud made sure to get their slouchy bag full of stuff before they left. It was a wonder that he remembered it.

Wading through the crowd once they were out in the streets would be a challenge. It was nearly 12:45 but the intersection of Loveless Avenue and Midgar Circle was more alive than ever. In fact, Cloud, Tifa, Shera or Cid would likely have a terrible time getting any sleep tonight it was so noisy out here. After the fireworks were over, the flood of people would disperse slightly back in to Loveless Avenue but it wouldn't be enough to hold the noise down. Cloud held on to Tifa as to not lose her in the crowd. It was hot down here and it was a relief to Cloud and Tifa to be inside the air-conditioned lobby of the hotel.

"Okay, you just…just be cool and I'll do all the talking." Cloud said softly to Tifa.

"Cloud…we're not trying to sneak in...or rob them." Tifa said.

"Oh…right…okay so…we'll just go check in like normal people." Cloud said thinking this through more entirely.

"Yes, that's exactly what we'll do." Tifa took Cloud by the hand and lead him over to the front desk. It didn't take them long to get the keycard to their room. "Thank you." Tifa told the woman behind the desk. "Don't feel me up in the elevator." Tifa warned Cloud as they headed for the elevators.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, there are people that monitor elevators for that exact thing and I don't want to known to security officers as that chick who's being felt up by that guy." Tifa said.

"You won't be. You'll be known as that chick with the fine ass and the lucky guy that gets a piece of it." Cloud said as the elevator opened up on this first floor. Tifa sighed.

"I have a better idea…you keep your hands off me until we get in our room…then I'll let you ravage me." Tifa said.

"Deal." Cloud said as he stepped in the elevator with Tifa.

"We…are terrible parents. We left our children with their drunk aunt so you and I could come over here and have a lot…of sex." Tifa said blatantly.

"I have been away from you nine days Tifa. We are wonderful parents who are not subjecting our children to the…stuff we're gonna' do. Cloud said.

"Hmmm…I like your logic better. Let's go with that." Tifa said as the elevator spit them out on their floor.

"Hey…hey Tifa. I'm still not touching you." Cloud said stupidly as he followed Tifa to their room. She just rolled her eyes and couldn't figure out why THAT made Cloud so proud. Tifa swiped their keycard through the door of their room. Tifa had barely gotten through the door when Cloud shoved past her and pushed her back against the inside of the door causing it to slam closed horribly. Not to mention Tifa would have a wicked bruise on her back tomorrow where that door handle plowed into her back.

"Holy….shit…that hurt like a…oooooh my god." Tifa moaned and let her hands travel from Cloud's shoulders down his back. If what she was feeling now was merely a prelude to how he was going to touch her later, she wanted nothing else….but more. Cloud pulled his lips away from hers for a moment.

"I brought you something to wear. He said shoving his hands into the layers of Tifa's dress.

"You did, huh?" she asked pulling him up against her.

"Wanna see it?" Cloud asked into her neck.

"Yeah." She answered as she now felt the throbbing pain in her back from the stupid doorknob. Cloud stepped back from her and turned the lamp on that was nearby. He put the bag on the chest of drawers that the lamp sat on and sorted through it. It was more than apparent to Tifa that a man had packed this bag because everything was thrown inside it haphazardly and it appeared as if nothing in the bag matched. Cloud finally pulled something out and handed it to Tifa.

"Ooooh my god! It's my old black skirt. Wow it…it still has the suspenders attached to it. I haven't had this thing on for…what like….four years?" Tifa said admiring her old outfit. It still had wrinkles in the skirt from where it had been folded and put away years ago. "Where did you find this?" Tifa asked.

"In the closet in the hall." Cloud told her, taking his shirt off and sitting on the edge of the bed. "It is so hot in here. Turn the air down." He asked of Tifa.

"This is…this is only the bottom part of my old outfit." She said shoving the thermostat down lower.

"I know…" Cloud said with a certain hunger in his eyes…it was a hunger that Tifa had seen before. Tifa laughed slightly.

"Should I wear anything underneath this skirt?" she asked.

"No." he answered her.

"Give me just a minute." Tifa said as she turned out the lamp. The light from outside was more than enough to flood through the semi-opaque curtains and fill the room with an orange-ish tinge. The air conditioner kicked on much to Cloud's liking.

"Doesn't fit like it used to." She said shoving her fingers underneath her black suspenders and pulling them toward her shoulders. Her beautiful breasts were her crowning glory at this very moment.

"What are you talking about? You…look unbelievable…shit…I just wanna…shove my hands up your skirt.

"What else do you wanna shove up my skirt?" Tifa asked in her hushed voice. She slid her hands over his shoulders and shoved Cloud's face into her chest. The cool air hit her bare skin making her chill all over. She let her head fall backwards at the feeling of Cloud's tongue on her breast. She let her thighs part as she slid down in his lap. She was pleasantly surprised at the feeling of soft cotton against her naked skin. She didn't even notice that Cloud had thrown his shorts to the floor while she got changed. Tifa pushed Cloud backwards. His lips were still on her breast, his fingers underneath her suspenders. Cloud was infatuated with the way Tifa whimpered for him as his lips assaulted her. He moved his hands over the curves of her hips and underneath her skirt. Cloud shuddered at what he felt.

"God you are…soaked." He said faintly.

"Bet you wanna taste that." Tifa said rather aggressively. Cloud moved his lips away from her and looked at her closely before grabbing her arms and shoving her flat on the mattress. He had grabbed her pretty hard and she wasn't completely ready for that…or the feeling that consumed her right now. Tifa clawed her blunt fingernails into the sheets below her. She could feel Cloud push her legs open as he tugged at the black fabric at her hips. Tifa squirmed and the more she squirmed the harder Cloud pulled on her skirt. "Trade me…please…please…trade me." Tifa pleaded.

"No…not yet." Cloud said briefly pulling his mouth away from her. Tifa worried that she couldn't fight back the intense pleasure. She writhed harder against Cloud. Finally, she simply couldn't stand it anymore. Just as roughly as Cloud had pushed her into the mattress, Tifa grabbed his shoulders and did the same to him, pushing his body underneath her. She stripped him down to nothing, letting her fingers tease sensitive skin. She could do amazing things with her mouth and tonight was no exception. Sometimes, Tifa could be _too_ amazing. The thing that made her the most amazing was how much she enjoyed having this much control. She loved how all Cloud could do was lay there and moan for her. Cloud tangled his fingers into Tifa's hair as he felt her mouth overcome him. Eventually, Tifa knew when to stop but she never actually 'stopped'…it was more of a transition from the wetness of her mouth to the wetness between…well, it was a brilliant transition. The sight of her would have brought any man to his knees…or in Cloud's case pinned helplessly and willingly at Tifa's mercy. He breathed heavily as Tifa moved his hands to her hips.

"You have to help me a little." Tifa said.

"I have a better idea." Cloud grabbed her arms and pulled her off of him, shoving her face first into the sheets below them. "Get on your knees." Cloud told her even though he was already pulling her hips up toward him. Tifa whimpered much louder than she should have. Whoever was in the room beside them probably heard her. She could feel Cloud's weight over her as wispy strands of blonde hair tickled her shoulders. There was something quite animal about the way Tifa moved with him, the way she moved against him. The fact that she _actually _had clothes on…though very few…couldn't have been any sexier. The truth was, Cloud had her in a position that would have her hips screaming in the morning but she liked it. It was a good kind of hurt and one that she longed to feel.

Cloud begged for her, she begged for him and they couldn't have wanted each other more. Tifa could feel her thighs quickly turning to mush as a result of Cloud's intense and continual force. "Cloud…Cloud…now I have an idea." Tifa practically choked on her words but she managed to squirm herself around to her back. She effortlessly unfastened her suspenders. It was obvious she had knew her way around her own clothes but in between her panting she did the unthinkable…she handed them over to Cloud. "They're kinda' long…so be creative." The look on Cloud's face in the silhouette of the yellow glow from the streets was a combination of pure lust mixed with shock. They had _never_ done this before.

"I…I gotta think…a minute…there's no blood in my brain…right now." Cloud panted at her as he took Tifa's suspenders and tried his best to think of the best way to use these. Tifa didn't mind if he took all the time in the world because she could just indulge in his perfect naked form. "Okay…okay…gimme your hands." Cloud asked of her. "Tell me if this is too tight." Cloud said as he tied her wrists together but then tied her to the side of their bed frame. For them…this was kinky. Tifa felt a rush of heat surge through her body. "Are you sure that's not too tight?" Cloud was concerned.

"It's fine…it's…really exciting." Tifa said. The tenderness of Cloud's kiss didn't match the rawness of her restraint but even bondage needed balance. "I want you to come all over me." She said softly. It was a passionate request and Cloud sure as hell would honor it. He let his hands glide over her every curve before parting her legs underneath him. Cloud knew this wouldn't last long. The sight of her was entirely too arousing, watching her pull her hands against the restraint of her own suspenders was even worse. It was the way Tifa fought it, the way she tugged and tugged, the way she clearly wanted to maul Cloud to pieces…but she couldn't. The harder Cloud shoved his hips into her the more he knew this wouldn't last long. His breaths were harder, faster, and heavier until there was barely enough time to soak Tifa as she wanted. She could feel burning in her wrists and sloppy mess all over her chest and her stomach. Cloud pressed tender, trembling lips into Tifa's. His warm breath hit her chin. It was nearly 3:39 AM but neither of them realized it or cared.


	9. Cid's Wake Up Call

It was the sound of the incessant horn of a large truck outside that snapped Cloud and Tifa out of their pre-7:30 AM daze. They had been asleep for one hour…well maybe a little longer. Tifa groaned and began to sit up, only to fall back into the sheets. "Hey…hey are you awake?" she mumbled half-asleep as she hit Cloud's shoulder.

"No…" Cloud answered her.

"What time is it?" Tifa asked rolling over into his back.

"I don't know." Cloud mumbled into his pillow. The phone rang in the room.

"What the…answer that." Tifa said.

"Why?" Cloud demanded of her as he picked up the phone but managed to hit it against everything before actually answering it. "Hello?" he answered it still half asleep. "Cid? Yes we heard the horn…Ci…Cid…Cid…it's way too early to be using the word fuck in a sentence. How did you get this room number? Well, I would assume Shera is beside you. Yes, we are a little bit hung over….but not from alcohol. I don't know if this hotel is non-smoking! Cid…Cid I'm hanging up now. No, me and Tifa don't want to have breakfast with you and Shera…as much as we like you. Because we're both all kinds of naked! Ci….Cid…it's…" Cloud stopped and looked at the clock. "It's 7:30 in the morning. How can you be this worked up at 7:30 in the morning?" Cloud asked. "Oh god, Cid I don't know! No…no…I'm hanging up now. We'll talk to you later. Bye." Cloud hung up the phone. Cid was still ranting on but he didn't care. Cloud sighed and moved over closer to Tifa, putting one arm around her.

"What did he want?" Tifa mumbled.

"He wanted to know if we heard that truck outside." Cloud said.

"I am so tired." Tifa said.

"Me too." Cloud agreed with her.

"Do you think we should call Yuffie?" Tifa yawned and rolled around to face Cloud, sneaking her arm around him.

"No. They are crazy if they are up already. Have we seriously been asleep for only one hour?" he asked.

"I don't know for sure. We were still up at four something I know." the phone rang again. Cloud sighed.

"I swear to god I am going to have to kill Cid later." Cloud said letting go of Tifa and reaching for the phone. "What?" he answered it. "My god yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes...please, please take our kids out for breakfast! Why am I so excited about that? Because me and Tifa are horrible parents who stayed up all night doing x-rated things, we've had like one hour of sleep and we have entirely forgotten that we have a responsibility to raise two kids. So, just take them to breakfast, don't tell them what we've been doing and give me and Tifa the lousy parent award. Tifa just asked me if we should call Yuffie. Oh my god, Tifa's cell phone is ringing right now. I bet it's Yuffie. Hold on let her answer it." Cloud said as Tifa climbed over Cloud to get her phone.

"Hey." she answered it as she laid across Cloud in a listless lump. "Yeah, we're up...barely. Are the kids up? Oh, okay. Well, Cid and Shera were going to take them to breakfast. Cloud is on the phone with Cid right now. O...okay." Tifa rolled back over to her side of the bed. "Yuffie wants to know if we all want to go over there for breakfast?" she asked Cloud.

"I'll ask Cid. Cid, Yuffie is on the phone and she wants to know if we all want to come over there for breakfast. Tifa says the kids aren't up yet." Cloud asked him. "Okay, hold on I'll ask Tifa." Cloud moved the phone slightly. "Tifa...breakfast...Yuffie...what do you want to do?"

"I don't care. I'm not about to get up, get dressed and hop over there right now." Tifa said.

"Cid, did you hear that? Okay." Cloud looked at Tifa. "He's asking Shera." this was hands down, the most confusing phone conversation ever. "Shera says yes, breakfast at Yuffie's is fine with her." Cloud finally said.

"Yuffie, Cid and Shera said yes to breakfast. But call us again when the kids wake up. We're not getting up right now." Tifa told Yuffie. "Alright…alright bye." Tifa threw her phone toward the bottom of the bed and put her arms around Cloud again. "I just want to sleep for like…one more hour."

"I want to sleep the rest of the day." Cloud said kissing the top of her head.

"Mmmm." Was Tifa's reply. It sounded like there was rain hitting the window of the hotel room. Neither Cloud nor Tifa had noticed that it was raining during the conversations with Cid. The truth was that it had been raining since they had barely gotten to bed. Tifa moved her hand to the side of Cloud's face.

"Oh my god..." Tifa stared at her wrists in horror.

"What?" Cloud questioned trying to go to sleep once more.

"Looks at my wrists. Oh god….I'm gonna have to hide this somehow but right now I'm too tired to think about it." Tifa said sliding her hand back down Cloud's body.

"Wait, wait…let me….holy….shit…what the hell did I do to you! All I did was tie you up…a lot…" Cloud said examining her wrist.

"Obviously the fabric burned my wrists where it rubbed. We'll deal with this later." Tifa said pulling the covers father up around them.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know…it just is." Tifa said. Neither of them had remembered turning down the thermostat the night before when they came bursting in here having a heat flash. "I missed you…while you were gone. I didn't think it would be a big deal; you being gone and all. But it was even though I kept telling myself it was only for a little while." Tifa admitted. It was kind of random but Cloud never knew how much she had really missed him.

"It was strange. The whole time I was gone I kept saying things to people like my wife this and my son that and that was the first time I realized that other people…well they related to that kind of stuff. People don't relate well to…to the person I used to be." He explained.

"It's easier to be in love with life than it is to fight it." Tifa said.

"As always…you're right." Cloud pulled her closer against him.

"I'm not always right. I'm just right when it matters." Tifa laughed and squeezed his side.

"Oh please. You are…you just wait. One of these times I'm gonna be so right about something and you'll be like oh Cloud you are so smart and sexy and number one." He purposely put his hand in Tifa's hair and messed it up as much as possible.

"I do think you're smart and sexy and number one. I just think I'm right more often than you." Tifa said.

"Yeah. You know, we're supposed to be asleep right now. Yuffie's gonna call and we're gonna be…still awake." Cloud said.

"I know…it's just that…now I'm _actually_ awake and now that I'm awake I can't go back to sleep." Tifa yawned again.

"You know what will happen…we'll get home today and crash. Who knows we may be so exhausted that we sleep for twelve hours. I hope Marlene and Denzel don't…you know…need stuff." Cloud let go of Tifa and rolled over on his back.

"Oh no…no. They're only our children…they would never _need_ anything." She said staring at the ceiling. She laughed again and wondered what time it was by now. She and Cloud laid there in silence as the spring rain hit the hotel room window. It didn't take either of them long to doze off again as the gray Midgar morning remained hidden away behind the curtains.

It seemed as though Cloud and Tifa hadn't been asleep for long when Tifa's phone rang again. The truth was, they had been asleep for nearly an hour but since they were both severely sleep deprived it didn't feel like an hour. It was Yuffie. Tifa answered it. Sure enough, Marlene and Denzel were up. She didn't stay on the phone with Yuffie long. Tifa yawned again and sat up, the cool air of the room hitting her bare (and bruised) back. "Cloud…Cloud." She poked him. He didn't respond. She shook his shoulder. That usually always worked. Cloud yawned and reached an arm up in the air.

"What?" he asked her sleepily.

"Yuffie just called. The kids are up. We should call Cid and get dressed." Tifa said. She felt Cloud's hand on her back.

"You have an awful bruise on your back. What is that from?" he asked touching it lightly.

"Where you slammed me in to the stupid door handle." Tifa said.

"This is why we don't drink too much and have sex isn't it? Someone always gets hurt." Cloud said.

"That's exactly the reason." Tifa said wiggling out of the cocoon of covers. She looked brilliant as she walked in front of the bed wearing nothing but her own skin. Cloud sat up and picked up the phone to call Cid and let him know that Yuffie had called. Cloud could hear the water running in the bathroom. "Hey Cid, Yuffie called. Yeah give us about ten and we'll meet you and Shera downstairs. Okay…okay bye." Cloud hung up the phone and pulled himself up to dig through the bag of stuff that he had packed the day before. It didn't take him long to get dressed. He proceeded to trade Tifa places in the bathroom, handing the bag over to her. She sat the bag on the bathroom counter and dug through it.

"Cloud! This is what you packed me to wear?" Tifa complained as she noticed the only things left in the bag were their toiletries and one of Cloud's long-sleeved shirts and a pair of his boxers.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't being very creative." Cloud said.

"Anything…absolutely _anything_ in my drawer would have been creative enough." Tifa said.

"Hey, you should be glad that shirt is long sleeved judging by the looks of your wrists." Cloud said. He was at least right about that much. Tifa did in fact need the coverage over her wrists. Cloud looked at the clock: 8:48. The good thing was that they could be downstairs and checked out of the hotel in no time since they didn't really have anything to pack up. Once Tifa was dressed, she double checked to make sure everything was picked up off the floor and stuffed back into their bag. "Say what you want but you look adorable." Cloud said hugging Tifa up against him.

"Oh hush." She answered wrapping her arms around Cloud. "Let's go get checked out." Tifa took Cloud by the hand as they headed out their room and toward the elevator.


	10. Contentment

"Whoa…you all are soaked and…and what are you wearing?" Yuffie asked Tifa as she stepped aside to let everyone in.

"Well, Yuffie…dear, dear Yuffie…it all started in October…when I got married." Tifa said shaking as she stepped inside.

"Oooh lemme guess…Cloud packed your overnight bag didn't he?" she asked.

"Sure did." Tifa said.

"Tifa!" Denzel exclaimed as he rushed over to hug Tifa. Marlene was close behind.

"Hi sweetheart." She put her arms around both of them. "Did you two have fun last night?"

"We sure did!" Marlene answered.

"Hey, why don't you two go get some clothes for them to change in to?" Yuffie said to both Denzel and Marlene. They agreed and took off to find something. "Oh? Cloud? Time to have a talk with Denzel. He's fine now but that boy woke up really freaked out." She said reaching in a cabinet and pulling down a very large bowl.

"What do you mean? Denzel knows where babies come from." Cloud said moving aside to let Shera and Cid around him.

"No, no Cloud…a different talk." Yuffie said pulling a dozen eggs out of her boyfriend's refrigerator.

"What are…what are you talking about?" Cloud insisted. Yuffie plopped everything in her hands down on the kitchen counter and yanked Cloud over beside her. She whispered something. "What! No! No! No…no. He's eleven. It's not time for that talk."

"Oh Cloud…you are my favorite idiot. It's time. Now, I've started the talk but you have to finish it." Yuffie said shoving a loaf of bread into Cloud's hands for French toast.

"No…you don't understand…we just went through this crap with Marlene! That was bad enough! She was all…hormonal." Cloud argued her.

"Cloud, you are more hormonal than me, Shera, Tifa, Marlene, and Vincent's girlfriend put together so don't you give me that crap! Here, hold this butter. My god, have you heard yourself sometimes! I'm sad, no I'm not I'm angry, no I'm not I'm so happy, no I'm not I'm….bleh! You frustrate me. Thanks sweetie, take that to your momma. I don't care what you do you're your dad's change of clothes." Yuffie was piling Cloud's hands full of stuff from the refrigerator.

"Wait….wait…see, I had all this figured out. Zack and Tifa were going to handle all the hard stuff and me…well I was…gonna be the one that gave them a raise in their allowance." Cloud said. Denzel put Cloud's change of clothes on the table in the kitchen and hurried off to the couch with Marlene.

"Cloud, Zack's not here…and Tifa has already handled ALL the hard stuff. It's time honey…it's time."

"Can I pawn it off on Cid?" Cloud begged Yuffie as she preheated the oven and got a skillet out.

"If you prefer the tough and abrasive approach that may involve excessive profanity and some crude innuendos then sure, by all means pawn it off on Cid." Yuffie said. Cloud sighed. She was right.

"Fine. What have you told him already?" Cloud said finally sitting the pile of breakfast items down for Yuffie. She flopped her spoon down in her egg mixture and leaned over to whisper something to Cloud.

"I can't believe I am actually going to go through with this." Cloud said leaving Yuffie alone and calling for Denzel. This would be the hardest conversation of his life. Tifa had gone over to the couch with Marlene.

"What time did you two go to bed?" Tifa asked now that she had slipped in to Yuffie's bathroom to change.

"2:30." Marlene admitted with all smiles.

"Well, you two might have to get some extra sleep today." Tifa said. "Did you have fun?"

"Uh huh. We watched movies and Yuffie's boyfriend popped us popcorn and everything." Marlene explained. "Did you stay up late at the fancy hotel?" Marlene asked.

"No, no, no…no….not at all. We went straight to bed once we got checked in." Tifa said quickly. She hated lying to Marlene but what was she going to say? No, me and Cloud stayed up nearly all night and he bruised the hell outta me, wanna see? No half-way responsible mother would say such a thing. Marlene leaned over on Tifa but she sat up again when Shera came over to sit beside her.

"Yuffie, do you need any help?" Tifa asked noticing that Yuffie would have this kitchen turned freakin' upside down.

"Nope! I'm good at this!" Yuffie said as she made a mess. It was already an attention-deficit of breakfast items: French toast, eggs, whatever meat was in the refrigerator and somehow biscuits had gotten in to this mix. Yuffie already had butter, jam, honey and syrup strung out across the countertops.

"Damn it Yuffie! Does your boyfriend even realize what a gargantuan mess you make out of his place?" Cid questioned.

"I'll clean it all up! Good cooks make even greater messes!" she insisted.

"Yuffie, Tifa is the best cook I know and she doesn't make half the mess you do." He said grabbing the paper from the table.

"Shut up!" Yuffie yelled at him.

"Uncle Cid you're annoying!" Marlene said laughing at him.

"Hey! Watch it little lady. You haven't seen annoying!" Cid cautioned her, sitting on the other side of Shera. "Damn, I need me a cigarette but I'm not going out in that rain to have one."

"Hello! Your mouth! How many times must we go over this!" Tifa reprimanded him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I don't mean it…well I do but I don't!" Cid confessed.

"Where's Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"He disappeared with Denzel." Cid said.

"Oh." Tifa said yawning.

"Guess what? Last night, Aunt Yuffie let me and Denzel sleep with the windows open." Marlene said excitedly.

"She did? Weren't you two hot?" Tifa asked.

"Nope. It was fun because I fell asleep to the sound of the traffic outside." Marlene said. Tifa smiled.

"Hmm…I have to say that does sound kinda' nice. I could probably go to sleep right now." She said letting her head rest against the back of the couch.

"Why's that Tifa? You have a rough night?" Cid winked at her.

"Hey, my night was brutal compared to yours." Tifa said pointing a finger at Cid. Thank god Marlene didn't know what they were _really_ talking about. She figured they didn't sleep well because of all the noise from the festival…she had no idea they just DIDN'T sleep. Cloud appeared with an arm around Denzel. He said something to him and Denzel hurried to Yuffie's side in the kitchen. Cloud shook his head and sat across from the couch.

"What?" Tifa questioned him.

"It's nothin'…except…that its somethin' and I'll talk to you about it later." Cloud said.

"You're weird when you haven't had any sleep." Tifa said with her head still resting on the back of the couch. She was startled by Yuffie's shrieking in the kitchen.

"Sorry! Sorry! That's a false alarm. I just covered Denzel in egg batter." Yuffie reassured everyone.

"I've done that to Tifa before." Cloud said laying down the best he could in the chair. Cid had the strangest of looks on his face. "What? I have. One morning I was in charge of the batter at breakfast, I tripped over Tifa…boom. One batter-dipped wife." Cloud explained. Cid let out a long sigh.

"I uh…I twisted the meaning around in my head…I'm glad you were _literally_ talking about egg batter." Cid said standing up. He couldn't stand it anymore. He simply had to have a cigarette. Cloud yawned.

"I am way too tired to even begin to attempt how you twisted that statement around in that Cid-mind of yours." He said.

"Why are you two so tired today?" Marlene asked as she squirmed around and laid across Tifa and Shera.

"Traffic."

"Lights." Cloud and Tifa answered at the same time. They hadn't planned on that question from Marlene or giving two different responses. There was a long pause.

"The traffic outside last night and the lights from the street were unbearable." Tifa explained.

"Yeah…let's go with that." Cloud agreed with her.

"Come on! Get in here. Breakfast is almost ready!" Yuffie insisted. "Denzel, you set the table, honey." She instructed him. Cid was outside standing under the small overhang on the balcony lighting up his cigarette. The rain was blowing toward the doors so it was certain he was getting wet.

"Did he smoke when you met him?" Tifa asked Shera. Shera smiled.

"Yeah. On our first official date he was really nervous. I'll never forget it because we sat in the middle of Rocket Town on this…old faded sheet I had brought from my house. It was the fourth night of the Rocket Town street fair. We had this great big bag of popcorn and he would take a drag on his cigarette then grab a handful of popcorn. I asked him what a cigarette tasted like because I had never smoked before." Shera laughed. "He looked at me and said you wanna try it? Before I could answer he was holding his cigarette in front of me. So, I took it and tried a puff. I thought I would cough my lung up it was so horrible." Shera finished. "We were both so young and…well…I guess naïve."

"I like that story." Marlene said. Tifa watched Denzel set the table across the room.

"Seriously, how do you put up with him smoking all the time?" Cloud asked. He was nearly upside down in the chair.

"His smoking saves our relationship." Shera said laughing. Tifa looked over at her. Even though she didn't know Shera that well, one thing was unmistakable…the glow. Shera had that same glow that Tifa had for Cloud. Shera and Cid had been together so long; though they had endured countless ups and downs…and judging by the light in her eyes; Tifa knew that Shera was very aware that she and Cid were two parts of a whole. Even more specific, the glow that surrounded Shera was that 'for better or for worse' glow…and god only knew she had already been through the worst of Cid Highwind.

"Here it comes. Get over here!" Yuffie said bringing a hot platter of something over to the table. Tifa tapped Marlene on her shoulders and she crawled off her lap.

"Hey…hey…come pull me up." Cloud said reaching a hand out toward Tifa. She grabbed his hand and pulled on him until he was sitting upright.

"Ouch! Oh my god….my back is a mess. I sound like a sixty-year-old man. Tifa, we need to find a new hobby…like…crossword puzzles…and knitting." He said as Tifa tugged on him. Tifa sighed.

"You are exhausting sometimes." Tifa said kissing him as she pulled him out of the chair.

"If we worked crossword puzzles you wouldn't be exhausted." Cloud said moving over to the table. Tifa sighed as she let her fingernails scratch his back.

"That's not what I mean." She said sitting down beside Denzel. Cid stepped back inside.

"Damn! It's fuuuuuu IIIIIIII mean….it's really windy out there." Cid announced, almost letting his mouth spew filth. Somethin' in here smells good." Shera and Cid joined Cloud, Tifa and the kids. It was a perfect morning for a big breakfast, in spite of the rain.

The time on the digital clock read 10:49. Cloud and Tifa laid on their unmade bed. They were still wearing their somewhat wet clothes from the long walk back home. The bedroom window was open and rain was slightly blowing in; moistening the thin curtains a bit. Marlene was in her room and Denzel had fallen asleep on the couch. The reality hadn't set in on neither Cloud nor Tifa, but in the past two weeks, Marlene and Denzel had subconsciously decided to start growing up. They weren't the little six and seven year olds they were of nearly six years ago. From here on out, raising these two would bring about an entirely new set of worries and concerns. They could worry about that when the reality sat in. Tifa was half asleep. Cloud watched her with heavy eyes. The sounds of the passing vehicles outside blended with the swirling rain. Now it was time to officially recover from the Kalm trip.

"Next time, you're going with me when I go out of town." Cloud mumbled to her.

"Mmm…yeah." Tifa answered not truly knowing what he had just said to her.

"This reminds me of the night we spent in Nibelheim. I had this same feeling that night as I do now." He recounted.

"What feeling?" Tifa asked.

"Contentment." Cloud's voice was soft. They both were very quiet as the muffled sounds of the outside world serenaded them. There was no reason to break the silence in this moment.

Hey everyone! Sorry for the slow update! I've been slammed with some deadlines lately and I've been in the process of changing computers. I hope that you enjoyed the last chapter! I have a new story idea and I will start working on it soon! Thanks for reading with me!


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